It’s the moment every diabetic dreads. You arrive at your doctor’s office, and he breaks the news. “You need new meds,” he says, pulling out the prescription pad.
Maybe you were even feeling optimistic when you walked in. After all, you have every reason to be. You were following his orders to the letter.
You’ve done your best with your diet. And you’ve dutifully taken your metformin every day, no matter how lousy it made you feel. So your blood sugar numbers should be under control.
But the blood tests tell another story. Your glucose levels are climbing, and now, your doctor is insisting it’s time to break out the “big guns.” He wants to put you on the newer, more heavy-duty drugs you’ve been hoping to avoid.
“We don’t have much choice,” your doc will say. “The metformin just isn’t cutting it anymore.”
Well, my friend, that’s a bunch of hogwash. Because there IS a choice. There’s another effective drug-free option you can try first.
Research has uncovered a safe and natural way to bring blood sugar back under control WITHOUT switching meds.
Avoid more meds with this nutrient solution
Metformin’s no picnic. But I think we can all agree it’s certainly better than the newer medications when it comes to potential side effects.
After all, they’ve been linked to some pretty horrific conditions, including gangrene and amputation. (See my earlier report “Diabetes drug packs horrific risks” for more disturbing details.) So the longer you can avoid those new meds, the better.
But for nearly one in three patients, metformin stops working, and blood sugar starts creeping up again within three years. This is why doctors often swap meds or add a second drug to the mix.
Now, new research shows a way you could delay that switch (or stop it altogether) by adding three natural blood-sugar taming compounds to your daily routine:
- Berberine: a compound from the barberry shrub
- Chromium: an essential trace mineral
- Hesperidin: a flavonoid found in oranges
This trio was tested against a placebo in patients with diabetes who were also taking metformin.
And over 12-weeks, the combo led to bigger improvements in both HbA1c and fasting blood sugar levels. That translates to better control and less chance you’ll need newer and stronger diabetes drugs.
Nutrient dream team reigns in rising blood sugar
The volunteers in the study were given a combo pill. But all three are readily available as single supplements too. And each one packs its own set of benefits.
You might recognize the first two on the list. Both berberine and chromium are already used by many people with diabetes.
Berberine alone is often as effective as metformin at reducing blood sugar, but without the side effects (which can include bad gas and low vitamin B12 levels). If your diabetes is a new diagnosis, you may even be able to ask your doctor if you can try berberine first BEFORE taking metformin.
Chromium is another longtime favorite of folks battling diabetes. In some cases, it improves insulin sensitivity helping keep blood sugar in check.
Hesperidin is less commonly used for diabetes. But emerging research reveals the flavonoid can help fight oxidative stress, including inside the blood vessels.
This is critical for folks with diabetes since oxidation-triggered damage plays a big role in the development of all kinds of diabetes complications.
Speak to a naturopathic or integrative medicine doctor about trying the trio and what the best approach for your situation is.
If done right… and under that doctor’s supervision… you not only won’t need stronger drugs to manage your blood sugar. You might even be able to ditch the metformin, too.
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