kidney bean supplement and diabetics

[Guest guest]

" victoria_dragon " <victoria_dragon

> Re:rib pain +++

>

> > White kidney bean supplement will not reduce the absorption of

> nutrients it will only decrease the absorption of glucose, so i hope

> it proves to be good for you.

>

> Couldn't this be dangerous for someone who is hypoglycemic and

> potentially so for diabetics on insulin?

 

Something which decreases the absorption of glucose is likely to help both

hypoglycaemic and diabetics because it stops the spikes of glucose which are

often a precursor to hypoglycaemia. Slowing down glucose absorption helps to

maintain the balance for diabetics on insulin as it is much better balanced

to avoid highs and lows of glucose. Many people get hypoglycaemia because

they eat fast hitting glucose foods such as bananas. Please refer to a

glycaemia index and stick to foods that are under 50. This is a good policy

even if you don't have the above conditions. It is also useful to know that

hypoglycaemia is often a precursor to Type 2 diabetes.

Susie

PS also bananas are damp creating and I think they should be only an

occasional food. The glycaemic index for them is 85.

[Guest guest]

in the diets that work with the glycemic index, like the Montignac diet (very

well known in French speaking countries) , they say that you can eat higher

glycemic foods as long as they are mixed with lower glycemic foods. so, an

occasional banana would not be so bad, as long as you eat it with something

else.

 

Susie <yinyang wrote: " victoria_dragon "

<victoria_dragon

> Re:rib pain +++

>

> > White kidney bean supplement will not reduce the absorption of

> nutrients it will only decrease the absorption of glucose, so i hope

> it proves to be good for you.

>

> Couldn't this be dangerous for someone who is hypoglycemic and

> potentially so for diabetics on insulin?

 

Something which decreases the absorption of glucose is likely to help both

hypoglycaemic and diabetics because it stops the spikes of glucose which are

often a precursor to hypoglycaemia. Slowing down glucose absorption helps to

maintain the balance for diabetics on insulin as it is much better balanced

to avoid highs and lows of glucose. Many people get hypoglycaemia because

they eat fast hitting glucose foods such as bananas. Please refer to a

glycaemia index and stick to foods that are under 50. This is a good policy

even if you don't have the above conditions. It is also useful to know that

hypoglycaemia is often a precursor to Type 2 diabetes.

Susie

PS also bananas are damp creating and I think they should be only an

occasional food. The glycaemic index for them is 85.

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

> Something which decreases the absorption of glucose is likely to

help both

> hypoglycaemic and diabetics because it stops the spikes of glucose

which are

> often a precursor to hypoglycaemia. Slowing down glucose absorption

helps to

> maintain the balance for diabetics on insulin as it is much better

balanced

> to avoid highs and lows of glucose.

 

Not all cases of hypoglycemia are due to diet.

 

Also, some diabetics - called " brittle diabetics " - start to produce

insulin on their own at certain times. Something which interferes

with glucose absorption in the case of hypoglycemia which is not diet-

related or brittle diabetes would be contradindicated.

 

BTW, I used to work for a britte diabetic. When his body started

producing insulin on top of what he was required to take, he would

become totally out of it very rapidly. He was dependent on someone

else administering something sweet to him. If he had been on a

glucose blocker, it would have been impossible to raise his blood

sugar by giving him something to eat or drink. An ambulance would

have had to be called so he could receive IV glucose.

 

I'll be posting more on this in another post. My computer is acting

up.

 

Victoria

[Guest guest]

I used to have a lot more problems with hypoglycemia every time the

temperature dropped sharply (Cold), the barometric pressure fell

rapidly (Wind), and humidity increased sharply (Dampness). Like

right before a storm. My blood sugar would fall rapidly, and my

appetite would increase tremendously. In a case like this, a glucose

blocker wouldn't be the answer. The answer was to increase

Protective Qi and treat the Exterior Wind, Cold, and Dampness

problems.

 

My hypoglycemia is influenced more by activity than by diet. When I

overdo physically, my blood sugar drops and my appetite increases

greatly. I get cold sweats, nausea, dry heaves, trembling, being out

of it mentally, and fainting.

 

I was asked in another post to go into more detail about hypoglycemia

and TCM. This is something I'm trying to research as my hypoglycemia

was not treated by the TCM herbalist I saw. He was aware of it, but

like all TCM healers, what he treated were TCM imbalances, not

Western-defined medical conditions. In the course of treating the

TCM imbalances, the hypoglycemia (and a lot of other things)got a lot

better. What helped my hypoglycemia may do nothing for another

hypoglycemic and may even make a 3rd hypoglycemic worse because the

Roots - the underlying TCM imbalances may be different. I don't know

which TCM imbalance(s) was/were responsible for the hypoglycemia in

my case.

 

To be continued in another post.

 

Victoria

[Guest guest]

People who have had abdominal surgery are more inclined to develop

hypoglycemia than those who have not.

 

The pH of the body can influence how glucose is handled. An alkaline

pH will tilt the person toward burning glucose. A more acidic pH

will tilt the body toward converting and storing the glucose as I

believe glycogen and fat. (It's been a long time since I studied

this. Someone help me out if I got the glycogen part wrong.

 

One thing that can make the body more alkaline is exercise. Thus,

this is part of the reason why diabetics are encouraged to exercise.

It helps them to burn glucose as their bodies become more alkaline.

 

I, on the other hand, have a problem with exercise or anything that

causes me to be to be too alkaline. My hypoglycemia is triggered in

large part by over-doing physically.

 

BTW, for anyone undergoing a glucose tolerance test, it's a good idea

to get up and walk around during the test. Sometimes the

hypoglycemia won't show up if the person is sedentary. Since the

person is not being sedentary in his or her normal life, the

hypoglycemia may not show up if the person just rests during the test.

 

Hypoglycemia is not only a matter of how low the blood sugar goes but

also of how rapidly it drops.

[Guest guest]

Because of my particular symptoms and the severity of them, I didn't

get just a standard glucose tolerance test. I also had to undergo a

3-day fast in the hospital to rule out the possibility of a tumor

that was producing insulin. There wasn't one.

 

In the case of hypoglycemia being due to a tumor, a glucose blocker

most definitely would be contraindicated because glucose in the diet

is having no effect on the hypoglycemia. The blocker would interfere

with the person being able to raise blood sugar in a hurry by eating

something sweet. The person would have to have IV glucose to bypass

the glucose blocker. I believe an insulin-producing tumor is

potentially fatal. Another resoan why a glucose blocker most

definitely would be contraindicated. Medical help may not arrive

soon enough to administer IV glucose.

 

As for glucose-tolerance tests, a 4-hour test is better than a 3-hour

test because many hypoglycemics don't experience the critical drop in

blood sugar until between the 3rd and 4th hours.

 

People can learn to recognize the symptoms of hypoglycemia in

others. My husband can tell when my blood sugar is dropping, and

will ask, " Is your blood sugar low? " He couldn't tell when we were

first married. He thought I was ignoring him since one of the first

symptoms to appear for me is I get a feeling of being cut off from

others. I'm not very talkative as I'm trying to save all my

dwindling energy for whatever task is at hand and getting it over

before the other, more debilitating symptoms appear. I finally

learned to stop what I was doing and get something to eat. I

literally have had times in the supermarket when I would have to stop

shopping, get something from the Deli section, pay for it, and eat it

before I could continue shopping. This was back when the

hypoglycemia and my health in general were a lot worse than they are

now. These days I also make it a point to have a very filling meal

before I go shopping.

[Guest guest]

> I was asked in another post to go into more detail about hypoglycemia

> and TCM. This is something I'm trying to research as my hypoglycemia

> was not treated by the TCM herbalist I saw. He was aware of it, but

> like all TCM healers, what he treated were TCM imbalances, not

> Western-defined medical conditions. In the course of treating the

> TCM imbalances, the hypoglycemia (and a lot of other things)got a lot

> better. What helped my hypoglycemia may do nothing for another

> hypoglycemic and may even make a 3rd hypoglycemic worse because the

> Roots - the underlying TCM imbalances may be different. I don't know

> which TCM imbalance(s) was/were responsible for the hypoglycemia in

> my case.

 

 

Your Kidney yang deficiency I bet. When 'normal' mechanisms fail, cortisol

from the adrenals should be produced to raise blood sugar, and I believe

this is a Kd yang function. Low thyroid function also causes a lowering of

glucose, and I believe particularly a lowering of brain glucose, so symptoms

of hypoglycemia may be more pronounced than blood levels indicate.

Hypothyroidism is also often related to adrenal exhaustion. The following

site is pretty good for cross referencing the two paradigms on this subject

under 'chronic fatigue':

 

http://www.holistichealthtopics.com/HMG/tradmed.html

 

 

I had to come off all the formulas I was on as they exacerbate my high

insulin problems, cause 'Lv stagnation/heat' and I could not pin down

exactly which herbs were doing it, because of lack of western research. Fu

Ling and Bai Zhu, Ren Shen and several others all have reported hypoglycemic

action, but no explanation of how - so you cannot tell if their mechanism

will suit one or other cause of hypoglycemia.

 

I have actually been having great success with a combination of green tea,

Jiao Gu Lan and citrus peel in a tea. All three are terrific antioxidents,

and so I think could be said to ease liver congestion. Green tea slows the

absorption of carbs, so for those who do get high glucose/insulin reactions

after meals or carbs this can be a great help. It slows liver

over-production of glucose, and potentiates the action of insulin - so would

be a good choice for type II diabetics, but not type I, for rebound

hypoglycemics, but not fasting ones.

It has many other properties too, those that would benefit the circulatory

disruption of insulin resistance, lower cholesterol etc.

 

With JiaoGuLan, it controls all of the symptoms I used to get after eating a

meal.

 

JiaoGuLan appears to have has a great effect on the kind circulatory

dysfunction involved in these conditions, which in western terms may well be

because of it's ability to promote endothelial nitric oxide production

(there are two types of NO - 'inducable - iNOS, is the detrimental kind,

JiaoGuLan promotes eNOS, the beneficial kind). Both it and green tea seem to

promote weightloss, or at least avoid weightgain where I would have expected

it (like over Christmas when I ate too much and could take no exercise

because of a bad fracture!).

 

In TCM it is a Kd yin and yang tonic, a qi tonic, but is not anywhere near

as stimulating/heating as the ginsengs, and seems pretty well balanced from

the right source. It also has a reputation for clearing phlegm - which I

believe covers both 'metabolic phlegm' like weightgain and high cholesterol,

and Lung phlegm, which the Chinese seem to note it for. Certainly it seems

to be having an expectorant effect.

 

It is also used in very low doses, so works out very economical for me. I

did briefly try the drug metformin just after coming off herbs, which

reduces carb absorption, high glucose, and increases insulin sensitivity -

but that seemed to make me constantly hypo, and upset my digestive function.

I stopped to 'let everything settle' before trying again, and just drank my

tea - then it seems to have worked out more effective than anything!

 

I may try increasing the dose when I go back to work, try to avoid getting

overtired like I did, but I am only taking half a teaspoon of ground herb

infusion a day at the moment. Symptoms returned within a week when I ran

out, so it is definately that.

 

Jackie

[Guest guest]

> Your Kidney yang deficiency I bet.

 

Yep. That was by far my major problem.

 

The TCM herbalist I saw not only did the pulse and tongue diagnosis,

he asked a lot of questions. The questions he asked were grouped

according to Organs. When he got to the Kidney section I

answered " yes " on just about every single question, including the

ones about a history of hearing and ear problems. (For those new to

TCM, the Kidneys " open into the ears " , and people with Kidney

problems frequently will have hearing and ear problems.)

 

The irony is that by Western standards, my kidneys are more or less

fine. But by TCM standards, my Kidneys had major problems.

 

> When 'normal' mechanisms fail, cortisol

> from the adrenals should be produced to raise blood sugar, and I

believe

> this is a Kd yang function. Low thyroid function also causes a

lowering of

> glucose, and I believe particularly a lowering of brain glucose, so

symptoms

> of hypoglycemia may be more pronounced than blood levels indicate.

 

And I have a history of thyroid problems, always hypothyroidism

except for the one time I was hyperthyoid. The hypoglycemia symptoms

were very pronounced for me. And even though I was on (and off)

thyroid replacement hormome (the Armour natural as well as the

synthetic at various times), the replacement only lessened the

hypothyroid symptoms. It wasn't until I went on the Yang tonic herbs

and the herbs to warm the Interior (or the body) that these symptoms

finally eased considerably.

 

> Hypothyroidism is also often related to adrenal exhaustion. The

following

> site is pretty good for cross referencing the two paradigms on this

subject

> under 'chronic fatigue':

>

> http://www.holistichealthtopics.com/HMG/tradmed.html

 

Thanks.

 

> I had to come off all the formulas I was on as they exacerbate my

high

> insulin problems, cause 'Lv stagnation/heat' and I could not pin

down

> exactly which herbs were doing it, because of lack of western

research.

 

You may be able to pin it down eventually from a TCM approach.

 

> Fu

> Ling and Bai Zhu, Ren Shen and several others all have reported

hypoglycemic

> action, but no explanation of how - so you cannot tell if their

mechanism

> will suit one or other cause of hypoglycemia.

 

Interesting. Fu Ling bothers me. I once had to use some for

Dampness problems. For those new to TCM, Fu Ling, aka Poria, is an

herb which is used to Drain Dampness. It also strengthens the Spleen

and Middle Burner. It is contraindicated in cases of Yang Deficiency

with frequent, copious urine.

 

> I have actually been having great success with a combination of

green tea,

> Jiao Gu Lan and citrus peel in a tea. All three are terrific

antioxidents,

> and so I think could be said to ease liver congestion. Green tea

slows the

> absorption of carbs, so for those who do get high glucose/insulin

reactions

> after meals or carbs this can be a great help. It slows liver

> over-production of glucose, and potentiates the action of insulin -

so would

> be a good choice for type II diabetics, but not type I, for rebound

> hypoglycemics, but not fasting ones.

> It has many other properties too, those that would benefit the

circulatory

> disruption of insulin resistance, lower cholesterol etc.

 

This is info which needs to be saved by those interested in

hypoglycemia, diabetes, and/or weight loss for themselves or clients.

 

For those new to TCM, one of the goals of TCM is to remove

the " guess " factor - the " try this and see if it works " factor - as

much as possible. The goal is to know exactly when something will

work and why, and when it is contraindicated as much as possible.

 

> In TCM it is a Kd yin and yang tonic, a qi tonic, but is not

anywhere near

> as stimulating/heating as the ginsengs, and seems pretty well

balanced from

> the right source. It also has a reputation for clearing phlegm -

which I

> believe covers both 'metabolic phlegm' like weightgain and high

cholesterol,

> and Lung phlegm, which the Chinese seem to note it for. Certainly

it seems

> to be having an expectorant effect.

 

BTW, some authorities recommend substituting cordonopsis for ginseng

in formulas calling for ginseng for people with CFIDS (Chronic

Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome).

[Guest guest]

> > I had to come off all the formulas I was on as they exacerbate my

> high

> > insulin problems, cause 'Lv stagnation/heat' and I could not pin

> down

> > exactly which herbs were doing it, because of lack of western

> research.

>

> You may be able to pin it down eventually from a TCM approach.

 

Well that was what was so wierd - I was treated by two very skilled

herbalists, one trained in China, the other recently arrived from China, and

neither could fathom it at all. In the end I decided it must be a modern

phenomenon that didn't really sit well with the TCM paradigm. Rank diabetes

does, but not

 

> Interesting. Fu Ling bothers me. I once had to use some for

> Dampness problems. For those new to TCM, Fu Ling, aka Poria, is an

> herb which is used to Drain Dampness.

 

It seems almost ubiquitously so.

 

> BTW, some authorities recommend substituting cordonopsis for ginseng

> in formulas calling for ginseng for people with CFIDS (Chronic

> Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome).

 

Yes, I was on codonopsis in several of the suspect formulas too, I forgot

that one. I certainly did not have an acute reaction to it, it seemed to

help, but the problem built up over time. I definately needed the actions of

the herbs I was prescribed, but it seems they also had a detrimental

'side-effect' on one aspect of my condition which the combination I have

stumbled on does not. Who knows, JioaGuLan may have been too much for me at

the outset, and maybe when I increase the dose the same will occur - I'll

let you know!

 

Jackie