How to Use Dandelion to Treat Diabetes

Diabetes is a common disorder in which the metabolism does not control the level of blood sugar properly. Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, is the result. There are many drugs, including insulin, that are used to treat diabetes. In addition to these drugs, some holistic practices and remedies can be effective in treating diabetes. Dandelion may provide a natural remedy.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fresh dandelions
• Dandelion tea
• Dandelion capsules

1. See your doctor for diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Diabetes is a potentially life-threatening disease and should not be taken lightly. It's important to create and maintain a medical treatment regime that keeps your blood sugar level consistent.

2. Stabilize your blood sugar before seeking alternative treatments. This will likely require significant changes to your diet, implementing an exercise program, taking oral medications and injecting insulin.

3. Drink dandelion tea on a daily basis. Dandelion has been shown to help normalize blood sugar levels.

4. Incorporate dandelion into your diet. Add raw dandelion leaves to a salad or cooked dandelion to a soup. Ingesting dandelion can improve lipid profiles, cholesterol and triglycerides in diabetic patients.

5. Monitor blood sugar levels regularly as part of your plan to treat your diabetes. Keep track of changes that occur after beginning dandelion therapy.

6. Step down oral medications as agreed upon by your doctor when you begin dandelion therapy. It may be possible to treat your diabetes without the use of medications by relying solely on dietary restrictions, exercise and herbal remedies. Let your doctor guide your choices. Don't make this decision on your own. Untreated or inappropriately treated diabetes can produce stroke, blindness, foot and leg amputations, nerve damage, renal damage and even death.

Tips & Warnings

• Use dandelion capsules to take dandelion quickly and easily. Available at most health food stores, dandelion capsules are taken as supplements.
• Research has yet to confirm the efficacy of dandelion in treating diabetes outside of a laboratory setting.
• Individual results will vary.
• It's imperative that you quit smoking when you are diagnosed with diabetes. Smoking dramatically increases your risk of health complications when you have diabetes.
• Don't use dandelion to treat gestational diabetes, as dandelion has not been proven safe for pregnant women.
• Monitor blood sugar levels to prevent hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. In some cases, dandelion works too well. You may need to decrease or discontinue dandelion therapy if you become hypoglycemic.
• Upset stomach and diarrhea are common side effects of taking dandelion, as is increased urination.

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