May 5, 2004
Honeymoon
Question from Adelaide, Australia:
What are your thoughts on the value of including medicinal mushrooms (capsule forms of macro fungi such as Coprinus comatus, Agaricus blazeii Murrill, Cordyceps sinensis, to name a few that have been suggested to me) as a complementary adjunct to a newly diagnosed child’s daily diabetes management regimen? Do you see any harm in this? My seven year old niece was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes only three weeks ago, and I’m looking at anything that could possibly help extend the “honeymoon” period I have learned about. I have come across such a product, grown and manufactured in Germany, that has been said to be of benefit.
There appear to have been various studies that attest to the beneficial properties of a variety of mushrooms in the treatment of diabetes, both type 1 and 2 in Additional Medicinal Properties (please note comments made and studies presented on pages 6 and 7 of this link). Any thoughts or suggestions? Am I barking up the wrong fungi?
Answer:
Mysterious natural medications may be safe or may be dangerous, so really depends upon how much risk you are willing to take for a child. There is no medical study about any of these alternative approaches so that safety is a big issue. First rule of medicine is “DO NO HARM.” At the moment, there is nothing except tight glucose control known to prolong the honeymoon phase.
SB
