What if there was a natural and affordable way to treat type 2 diabetes, lower blood sugar, boost energy, and help you live a healthier lifestyle?
Would you give it a shot? Not sure?
Before we jump into all the details you need, here's a quick rundown of popular herbal supplements that have shown great promise in curing insulin resistance: .... (followed by more information on each herb.)
Herb | Main Benefit | Buy Online |
|---|---|---|
Bitter Melon | Powerful antioxidant that enhances overall health | |
Aloe Vera | Strong healing and soothing properties | |
Cinnamon | Helps digestive system remove extra sugar in blood | |
Ginseng | Increases energy levels | |
Ginger | Helps lower cholesterol and heart disease risks | |
Fenugreek | Can prevent diabetes for those trending that way | |
Gymnema Sylvestre | Boosts pancreatic health |
Natural herbal supplements that help lower blood sugar levels in diabetics
Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes is fairly common among people of almost all ages worldwide. It's especially common in older adults.
People are vulnerable to becoming diabetic mainly because of their dietary and lifestyle habits. Insufficient sleep, excessive stress, and even genetics might be contributors to a diabetic condition.
While the initial step should be to seek medical assistance for a certified physician, natural remedies can be of great use to complement your doctor’s guidelines (1). It is important to know which natural remedies are most effective in bringing desired improvements for your condition.
A random selection of herbal treatments may cause more harm than benefits. Our carefully analyzed list of the best herbs for type 2 diabetes will keep you on track as you begin your search for ways to cure your condition naturally.
Bitter Melon
Enriched with minerals and vitamins, bitter gourd or bitter melon is the most bitter-tasting of all the vegetables and fruits. Despite the bitter taste, the health benefits that it offers are numerous.
It is widely used as a powerful antioxidant that treats or minimizes the effects of health issues like inflammation, diabetes, ulcer, and constipation. Reliable sources indicate that the compounds in bitter melon keep the level of glucose and lipids balanced, making it beneficial for diabetic, obese, and people with cardiovascular diseases.
Bitter melon acts like insulin by decreasing your appetite, which helps reduce blood sugar levels. A lectin in bitter gourd decreases blood sugar concentrations as it works on peripheral tissues and curbs appetite.
The presence of three particular elements in the vegetable-fruit confirms its anti-diabetic properties. You can take bitter gourd in different forms – eat it as a vegetable-fruit, or make fruit juice of it. You may also buy bitter gourd extract as an herbal supplement.
Our Favorite:
Product | Review | Buy Online |
|---|---|---|
 | "After three days, my blood glucose lowered on average 25 to 35 points per day." |
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera has been used as an herbal medicine for a very long time. It's healing, anti-inflammatory, and soothing properties has made people prefer it as a form of natural treatment. For diabetic patients, aloe vera heals wound injuries faster, which would otherwise require much longer to heal.
With zero side effects, aloe vera intake ensures decreased body fat and better fasting blood sugar levels. It has also shown signs to drop total cholesterol level and LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein, alternatively as bad cholesterol).
If you’re already taking medications for diabetes, you must consult your doctor before choosing aloe vera. Doctor’s suggestion crucial in helping you maintain a proper balance of medicine and aloe vera consumption.
Our Favorite:
Product | Review | Buy Online |
|---|---|---|
 | "Has helped soothe and heal my digestive tract for the past few months" |
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is an aromatic spice that is widely available in various forms. It works as an herbal remedy from diabetes as it increases insulin sensitivity and lowers blood sugar.
Its anti-diabetic compounds decrease the rate at which glucose enters blood cells. It also helps to improve our digestive system, which enables the digestive tract to get rid of the extra sugar in the blood.
As sugar is highly discouraged for diabetics, you may use cinnamon as a substitute to sugar. You may sprinkle cinnamon powder over your oatmeal or make cinnamon tea or coffee.
Whatever form of cinnamon you may prefer, you should keep it in mind that you should not eat rolls, buns, or other any sugary food made with cinnamon.
Our Favorite:
Product | Review | Buy Online |
|---|---|---|
 | "My type 2 diabetes was out of control. But, since taking this twice a day, my sugar has made a dramatic drop" |
Ginseng
Red ginseng has proven benefits as an herb that lowers blood sugar levels. It has been used as a traditional medicine for thousands of years.
The kind of ginseng with blood sugar lowering properties is found mostly in Asia and America. Other types of ginseng that help treat type 2 diabetes include Korean ginseng, Japanese ginseng, and Siberian ginseng.
A particular species of ginseng named Panax is regarded as the “panacea” in some aspects (2). There is still scope for testing ginseng’s effectiveness as a trusted remedy for type 2 diabetes.
Our Favorite:
Product | Review | Buy Online |
|---|---|---|
 | "Their ginseng and royal jelly gives me noticeable increase in energy and physical stamina" |
Ginger
Ginger is an herb that has been used for thousands of years for its medicinal benefits. It has shown positive results in reducing blood sugar levels and regulates insulin sensitivity in diabetic people.
A study suggests that ginger powder supplements improve fasting blood sugar, and people using them experience lower levels of hemoglobin A1C – which implies the amount of sugar in your blood’s hemoglobin.
Another research conducted in Australia mentions that extract from Australian ginger named Buderim ginger increases the uptake of glucose into muscle cells without any insulin injection. Such studies prove the potential of ginger to properly manage blood sugar levels in the body.
Even better, ginger can be taken in tasty teas that provide additional positive health results.
Our Favorite:
Product | Review | Buy Online |
|---|---|---|
 | "I was hoping to heal my gut through diet and mind. These make a great addition to my regimen." |
Fenugreek
Fenugreek is a seed that contains chemicals and fibers to delay the digestion of glucose and carbohydrates. The seeds can better the conditions of metabolic systems linked with type 2 diabetes.
Powdered fenugreek seed has led to a declining possibility for pre-diabetics to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
As researchers figured out, the seed increases the level of insulin in your body, reducing the level of blood sugar. Fenugreek seeds also lower cholesterol levels.
You can consume fenugreek seeds with some dishes, take the powdered form of the seeds, or go for a capsule supplement form.
Our Favorite:
Product | Review | Buy Online |
|---|---|---|
 | "After a couple weeks I have more energy. I feel the boost about 15 minutes after taking it" |
Gymnema Sylvestre
Gymnema is a shrub that has its origin in Indian forests. The Hindi term for Gymnema means sugar destroyer. Both the leaf and extracts from Gymnema is beneficial for type 2 diabetes.
Besides lower blood sugar levels, Gymnema helps flush out the sugar absorbed by the intestines and increases insulin secretion in the pancreas.
Doctors often regard Gymnema as one of the safest herbal complement to the treatment of type 2 diabetes. There are hardly any negative effects associated with its use.
Our Favorite:
Product | Review | Buy Online |
|---|---|---|
 | "I love gymnema. It helps lessens my appetite. I was always so hungry, and now I finally feel in control." |
Common questions
How do herbs improve pancreas health and function?
The pancreas' endocrine components create and distribute key hormones into the bloodstream. The major hormones are insulin (which lowers blood sugar) and glucagon (which raises it). When the pancreas isn't operating as it should, diabetes can result. Herbs can heal the pancreas, stimulate beta cells (great for those with diabetes), and increase secretion of enzymes and digestive juices.
What spices lower blood sugar levels?
It is recommended to take in a healthy mix of herbs and spices. Spices come from seeds, bark, roots or berries. Herbs come from plant leaves. You may also consider taking supplements with garlic, tumeric, sage, rosemary, curry leaves, clove, and milk thistle.
What Chinese herbs are used for diabetes?
The most popular herbs from China used to treat diabetics are Panax ginseng, Lycium Bark, Lycium Fruit, Balsam Pear, Bottle Gourd, and Psidium Gnajava (taken as a tea). In studies, Chinese herbs have shown wide-ranging results in lowering blood sure. It appears they most effective when taken with Western medication and treatments.
Bottom line: A safe solution for treating diabetes
Herbs can be one of the most effective and easily available natural supplements to treat the diabetes and pre-diabetes condition. Most herbal remedies do not have any major side effects.
Though that is the case, your body might react one way to a supplement while another diabetic might have a completely different reaction. We suggest giving a few herbs a trial run to see how it goes.
You also may consider blood sugar support formulas and multivitamins in tandem with medication or a replacement of it.
And, as always, if you’re under medicinal treatment as a type 2 diabetic patient, you should not start consuming any herb without notifying your doctor first.
References:
(1) "Natural Remedies for Diabetes Type 2", by Dr. Daniellle E. Greenman, Stamford Health
(2) Panax Ginseng, WebMD