
December 23, 2002
Alternative Therapies and Explanations
Question from India:
I am a 42 year old with borderline diabetes, and my doctor’s only advice is exercise with diet control. However, I have an excessive appetite, and controlling it is not regularly possible. Is there any mild medication? What about herbal treatment in such a situation? Allopathy?
Answer:
The alternative therapies you speak of have not be scientifically proven effective for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The majority opinion is that there is no such thing as borderline diabetes; you either have the condition or you do not. If you are unable to obtain the glucose goals set down by you and your physician, I would recommend talking about several of the oral hypoglycemic agents now available. They do not necessarily cause low sugars and have been shown to improve a variety of functions, such as small blood vessel function, lipids, etc., associated with type 2 diabetes.
JTL