Ayurveda and Diabetes

Daniela Cozzi

Capstone: Biology of Disease

Dr. Jonathan Karpel 

Ayurveda and Diabetes

One of the oldest medical practices is known as Ayurveda. The idea behind this practice is a balance within and throughout the body. Ayurveda allows you to find the balance for your unique body. 
When the foundation of the system is not balanced, the chances for that structure to fall are much higher and is an unreliable structure. General medicine for different types of diseases, illnesses or symptoms are made for the general public. 
Different types of medicines are made for millions of Americans every day. How can a medicines made for everyone help unique symptoms of that person's body? Medicines are used mostly to hide symptoms or a quick fix but they don’t resolve the problem. Everyone’s bodies are unique and don’t react the same way to different methods of medicine. In some cases, medicine is an essential to live a better life and technology is an amazing advantage for many 
parts of the medical field and will continue to help many people all around the world. Ayurveda represents a much older medicine and more like a traditional health care. It’s based more on natural remedies like positive thinking, diet, and uses of herbs. 
Our bodies go through constant interactions between order and disorders but we are all unique in finding our own balance. Factors like internal and external can impact our bodies and Ayurveda focuses on those factors to balance your body again. 

In 2018, around 34.2 million Americans had diabetes according to the American Diabetes Association. It has become a common disease among Americans and one of the leading causes of death in the states. Its total cost to the American health care was around 327 billion dollars. Diabetes is considered when your glucose levels are too high. We receive glucose from the food that we consume on a daily basis. We also produce a hormone called insulin that helps glucose to give your cells energy. There are different types of diabetes but the most 
common is Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is when your body does not produce the hormone insulin because the body destroyed the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Type 2 is when your body does not produce or doesn’t use it properly. This diabetes causes an unbalance in the body, which increases the risk of problems on your overall health. Some effects are damage to the eyes, kidneys and nerves according to the U.S National Library of medicine. Before you are diagnosed with diabetes, you go through a stage known as pre-diabetes. This stage is where your glucose levels are very high before you have diabetes. Around more than half the people who are diagnosed with pre-diabetes go to develop type 2 diabetes. When you are in the stages of pre-diabetes, the big question is, are there any steps
that can be taken to reduce the risk of diabetes. 

In 2015, Dr. Sarah Hallberg gave a ted talk about ignoring the ADA guidelines as the beginning of reversing type 2 diabetes. She explains cycles and shows how medicine for type 2 diabetes makes it worse. Diabetes is a state of Carbohydrates toxicity. It’s when the glucose can not get into the cell. The medicine allows you to eat carbs but then makes you consume more because your blood sugar level might get too low. She talks about how in most cases and better seen earlier can be reversed. We actually don’t need carbs, we need essential amino acids and fatty acids. We actually make glucose all the time, it’s known as gluconeogenesis. She believes in a low carb diet based on patients she had in the past. It’s not cured but it’s a way to maintain your glucose blood level in a good range. Low carb diet does not mean no carb or high protein diet. She recommends to increase healthy fats which help keep our glucose and insulin levels low. People that don’t have diabetes are recommended to follow this diet to reduce other diseases and have an overall balance in our bodies.

Type 1 diabetes is more concerning because it’s more than just eating healthier to help with many symptoms. In June 2016, there was a therapy that has given some hope for people who struggle with type 1 diabetes. The experimental therapy transplanted insulin producing cells to patients with very serious type 1 diabetes. They used pancreatic islets from donors to treat 1 type diabetes. Even though more experiments and tests need to be taken, it shows 
good improvements in patients of the treatment. Almost 88 percent of patients were having normal control glucose levels in their blood, and were also able to notice when their glucose levels were too low.  Also people who have type 1 diabetes can’t notice when their blood sugar is too low and that becomes dangerous.

Management plan is a treatment plan for people who struggle with type 1 diabetes. Everyone has a different plan just like in the Ayurveda medicine and diet. Even though the disease has very similar characteristics in the body, everyone responds differently with treatment. According to Ayurveda medicine, diabetes is the reaction of the body getting out of balance. There are factors in genes that can’t be reversed but adding lifestyle changes will allow people who struggle to find a plan for their unique body. That plan will allow the person to find and live their best life with a condition they have or a condition they can try to reduce. There are cases like type 1 diabetes that can only try to improve their life but sadly we don’t have a cure. 

The medicine behind the Ayurveda system is not to fight disease but promote good health. Having a good healthy body decreases the chances to get diseases. Some products that are used in Ayurveda medicine contain different herbs like turmeric. Turmeric has many benefits behind it especially helping to promote good health. It’s known to prevent heart diseases, Alzheimer and cancer. It’s a herb that helps decrease inflammation and is an antioxidant. Another herb used in Ayurveda medicine is Indian Gooseberry. It has many benefits for high cholesterol, diabetes, eye problems and much more. It’s also used to kill germs and reduce pain. Looking through the herbs used in this medicine has opened my interest in practicing a more natural way of medicine. The overall goal of this practice is finding a balance in your body. Using more natural approaches before taking a medicine. This type of medicine is a powerful way but used more for prevention and preparing your body not to take stronger medication.  Combining the Ayurveda medicine and treating overall balance can help improve and reduce diseases that are becoming more common in your society.