Curry Leaves
Curry leaves, derived from a beautiful, aromatic and more or less deciduous shrub, are slightly bitter and aromatic. They possess the qualities of herbal tonic. They are a food of great value in diabetes.
Eating 10 fresh fully-grown curry leaves every morning for three months is said to prevent diabetes due to hereditary factors. The leaves are also beneficial in the treatment of diabetes resulting from over weight, as they have weight- reducing properties. As the weight drops, the diabetes patients stop passing sugar in urine. The leaves can be taken in form of chutney or the juice may be extracted from them and taken in buttermilk or lassi.
Fenugreek Seeds
Fenugreek is a well-known leafy vegetable. Its regular use will help keep the body healthy and clean. The leaves of fenugreek are commonly used as cooked vegetable in India.
The seeds of the plant are the best cleansers within the body, highly mucus-solvents and soothing agents. Fenugreek seeds are a medicine of great value in the treatment of diabetes. According to research studies conducted at National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, fenugreek seeds, when given in varying doses of 25 grams to 100 grams daily diminish reactive hyperglycemia in diabetic patients.
Levels of glucose were also significantly reduced in the diabetes patients when the seeds were consumed. These studies indicated that the effect of taking fenugreek seeds could be quite marked, when consumed with 1200 to 1400 calorie diet per day, which is usually recommended for diabetes patients. Fenugreek seeds can be consumed by diabetics in different ways.
A teaspoon of the seeds can be swallowed with water daily. In the alternative, the seeds can be soaked overnight in water and can be taken first thing in the morning. The soaked seeds can also be dried and powdered and this powder taken with milk in doses of one teaspoon twice daily.
Fiber-Rich Foods
The American Diabetes Association had, for decades, recommended low carbohydrate diet for diabetics. In 1979 it realised the error of its recommendations and stated that foods high in dietary fiber should be included in diabetic meals. The British Diabetic Association also recommends high- fiber diet for diabetics.
Foods-rich in fiber are thus considered highly beneficial in the treatment of diabetes. Whole grain cereals are one of the best sources of dietary fiber. A well-known nutritionist, Denis Burkit in his book ‘Don’t forget fiber in your diet’ says “Diabetes decreases and may even disappear in people eating a traditional whole food diet.” The British Medical Journal issue dated December 25, 1979 also supports this view.
According to this Journal “A high fiber diet induced a remission of diabetes in 85 per cent of the patients tested.” In Britain, between the years 1941 and 1954 it was compulsory to use only high fiber national flour. During that period diabetic mortality rate fell by 54 per cent.
It has been found that the use of soluble fiber contained in barley, oatmeal, fruits, carrots and dried beans, helps considerably in reducing blood sugar levels. The diabetes patients should, therefore, increase gradually such soluble fiber in their diet. High-fibre diets work so well that many patients on such diets have decreased or eliminated their need for supplemental insulin and other anti-diabetic medications.
Foods high in Antioxidants
The diabetes patients should take extra care to have foods rich in antioxidant vitamins E, C and beta-carotene. This advice comes from Dr. James Anderson, M.D., of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. The reason is that the artery clogging process appears abnormal and more severe in diabetics. The bad-type LDL cholesterol, in diabetics in particular, is more susceptible to oxidation, and thus more likely to become “toxic”. In turn, such oxidized LDL is more likely to clog arteries. This may explain two to three times higher risk of heart disease in diabetics, says Dr. Anderson.
The dangerous oxiuized cholesterol is caused by high levels of sugar in the blood sustained in diabetes. As sugar is metabolized, it releases the oxygen free radicals that tend to make cholesterol toxic. This can be counteracted by a steady supply of antioxidants.
Main food sources of beta-carotene are carrot, dark orange and dark green leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, dried apricots, spinach and pumpkins. Vitamin C-rich foods are Indian gooseberry, red and green sweet peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, strawberries, spinach, citrus fruits and cabbage. Major food Sources of Vitamin E are vegetable oils, almonds, soybeans and sunflower seeds.