A Natural Approach to Diabetic Ulcers
Filed Under Dr. Zoltan Rona (MD) |
Leg ulcers are one of the more serious complications of diabetes. Aside from various prescription creams and drugs, there are a number of natural strategies that can speed healing.
The most important thing to do is to optimize blood sugar levels. Get food allergy/sensitivity testing done because the consumption of allergic foods elevates blood sugar. Testing is most accurately done by the blood IgG4 RAST (see www.yorktestcanada.com). Then eliminate all reactive foods, sucrose (glucose and fructose together), and refined, simple carbohydrates (white bread, soft drinks, etc.).
Increase low glycemic index foods such as Jerusalem artichoke and legumes. Have regular high protein snacks. Avoid coffee, regular tea, alcohol, junk food, and tobacco.
Open two or more capsules of vitamin E (800 IU) and squeeze the contents directly on to the ulcers at least twice a day. Take the following natural supplements to promote more rapid healing:
Vitamins and Minerals:
(Please note: Prescription medication or insulin doses may have to be adjusted downwards. Work with a medical doctor who can monitor changes and prescribe accordingly.)
• Vitamin C: 2000–4000 mg
• Vitamin E: 400–800 I.U.
• Vitamin B3: 30–100 mg
• Niacinamide: 50–300 mg
• Vitamin B6: 25–150 mg
• Biotin: 3–20 mg
• Chromium (GTF): 200–3000 mcg
• Zinc: 20–60 mg
• Copper: 2–3 mg
• Magnesium: 500 mg
• Manganese: 10–50 mg
• Potassium: 3 g
• Vanadium: 100 mcg
Other Supplements:
• Quercetin: 1000 mg
• Coenzyme Q10: 400–600 mg
• Taurine: 3000 mg
• R-Alpha Lipoic Acid: 600–1200 mg
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: 3000 mg three times daily
• Fiber (milled flax, psyllium, pectin, glucomannan, xanthum gum, alginic acid and/or guar): 3000 mg
• Pancreatin (digestive enzymes): 2 capsules three times daily
Herbs/Botanicals:
• Allium sativum (Garlic): 6 or more cloves
• Arctium lappa (Burdock): 3000 mg or more
• Eleutherococcus senticosus (Siberian ginseng): 3000mg or more
• Gymnema sylvestre (Gymnema): 3000 mg or more
• Momordica charantia (Bitter melon): 3000 mg or more
• Panax ginseng (Chinese ginseng, Korean ginseng): 3000 mg or more
• Polygonum multiflorum (Fo-ti, He-shou-wu): 3000 mg or more
• Trigonella foenum-graecum (Fenugreek): 3000 mg or more
• Vaccinium myrtillus (Bilberry): 500 mg
• Calendula officinalis (Calendula) cream or lotion: apply topically three or more times
• Aloe vera gel: apply topically three or more times
Dr. Zoltan Rona
REFERENCES
Food Allergens:
Vaarala O et al., “Environmental factors in the aetiology of childhood diabetes.” Diab Nutr Metab. 1999;12(2):75-85.
Marz RB, Medical Nutrition from Marz, 2nd ed. Omni Press; Portland, OR; 1997:277.
Coffee, Alcohol and Tobacco:
“Diabetes and alcohol consumption.” Diabetes Care. January 2000;23:18-22.
Franz MJ, “Diabetes mellitus: considerations in the development of guidelines for the ocasional use of alcohol.” J Am Diet Assoc. 1983;83:147-52.
Complex Carbohydrates, Legumes, and Fiber:
“Diabetes and vegan diet.” Nutr Report. May 2, 1997;27(17):7.
Meyer KA et al., “Carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and incident type 2 diabetes in older women.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71:921-930.
Anderson JW et al., “Whole grain foods and heart disease risk.” J Am Coll Nutr. 2000;19(3):291S-299S.
Anderson JW et al., “Cardiovascular and renal benefits of dry bean and soybean intake.” Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;70(Suppl.):464S-474S.
Chandalia M et al., “Beneficial effects of high dietary fiber intake in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.” N Engl J Med. May 11,2000;342(19):1392-1398.
Fraser GE, “Associations between diet and cancer, ischemic heart disease, and all-cause mortality in non-hispanic white California Seventh-Day Adventists.” Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;70(Suppl.):532S-538S.
Simpson HCR et al., “A high carbohydrate leguminous fiber diet improves all aspects of diabetic contol.” Lancet. 1981;1:1-5.
Hallfrisch J and Behall KM, “Mechanisms of the effects of grains on insulin and glucose responses.” J Am Coll Nutr. 2000;19(3):320S-325S.
Noriega E et al., “Glycaemic and insulinaemic indices of mexican foods high in complex carbohydrates.” Diab Nutr Metab. 1999;12:1-22.
Gin H et al., “Which diet for diabetic patients with chronic renal failure?” Nephrol Dial Transplant. 1999;14:2577-2579.
Gutierrez M et al., “Utility of a short-term 25% carbohydrate diet on improving glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus.” J Am Coll Nutr. 1998;17(6):595-600.
Sugar:
National Research Council. Diet and Health: Implications for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk. National Academy Press; Washington DC; 1989.
Glycemic Index:
Jenkins DJA et al., “Glycemic index of foods: a physiological basis for carbohydrate exchange.” Am J Clin Nutr. 1981;24:362-66.
Junk Food:
Frazao E. “High costs of poor eating patterns in the United States.” Nutr Week. June 18, 1999;29(23):4-5.
Protein Snacks:
Nuttall FQ and Chasuk RM, “Nutrition and the management of type 2 diabetes.” J Fam Prac. 1998;47(5/Suppl):S45-S53.
Raal FJ et al., “Effect of moderate dietary protein restriction on the progression of overt diabetic nephropathy: a 6-month prospective study.” Am J Clin Nutr. 1994;60:579-585.
Garlic:
Sheela CG et al., “Antidiabetic effects of S-allyl cysteine sulphoxide isolated from garlic.” Indian J Exp Biol. 1992;30:523-26.
Calendula (citations from the Medline database):
Calendula (Marigold) Bogdanova NS Nikolaeva IS Shcherbakova LI Tolstova TI Moskalenko NIuPershin GN [Study of antiviral properties of Calendula officinalis]
Farmakol Toksikol (1970 May-Jun) 33(3):349-55 Boucaud-Maitre Y Algernon O Raynaud J Cytotoxic and antitumoral activity of Calendula officinalis extracts.
Pharmazie (1988 Mar) 43(3):220-1Chakurski I Matev M Koichev A Angelova I Stefanov G [Treatment of chronic colitis with an herbal combination of Taraxacum officinale, Hypericum perforatum, Melissa officinalis, Calendula officinalis and Foeniculum vulgare]
Vutr Boles (1981) 20(6):51-4
Dumenil G Chemli R Balansard C Guiraud H Lallemand M [Evaluation of antibacterial properties of marigold flowers (Calendulaofficinalis L.) and mother homeopathic tinctures of C. officinalis L. and C.arvensis L. (author’s transl)]
Ann Pharm Fr (1980) 38(6):493-9Elias R De Meo M Vidal-Ollivier E Laget M Balansard G Dumenil G Antimutagenic activity of some saponins isolated from Calendula officinalisL., C. arvensis L. and Hedera helix L.
Mutagenesis (1990 Jul) 5(4):327-31Fleischner, A. M. Plant extracts: to accelerate healing and reduce inflammation
Cosmet. Toilet. 100:45-46, 48-51, 54-55, 58 (Oct) 1985
Potential anti-inflammatory constituents from the extracts of Calendula officinalis, Anthemis nobilis, Tilia sylvestris, Centaurea cyanus, Matricaria chamomilla and Hypericum perforatum are described, and an evaluation of wound healing activity in 5 healthy subjects with artificially induced skin abrasions is discussed. In all 5 volunteers theextracts accelerated healing time an average of 16% (3.4 days) vs the control.Gasiorowska I Jachimowicz M Patalas B Mlynarczyk A [The use of Calendula officinalis in the treatment of period onto pathies]
Czas Stomatol (1983 Apr) 36(4):307-11Kartikeyan S Chaturvedi RM Narkar SV Effect of calendula on trophic ulcers [letter; comment]
Lepr Rev (1990 Dec) 61(4):399Klouchek-Popova E Popov A Pavlova N Krusteva S Influence of the physiological regeneration and epithelialization using fractions isolated from Calendula officinalis.
Acta Physiol Pharmacol Bulg (1982) 8(4):63-7Marinchev VN Bychkova LN Balvanovich NV Giraev AN Use of calendula for therapy of chronic inflammatory diseases of eyelids and conjunctiva]
Oftalmol Zh (1971) 26(3):196-8Mozherenkov VP Shubina LF Treatment of chronic conjunctivitis with Calendula]
Med Sestra (1976 Apr) 35(4):33-4Samochowiec E Urbanska L Manka W Stolarska E [Evaluation of the effect of Calendula officinalis and Echinaceaangustifolia extracts of Trichomonas vaginalis in vitro]
Wiad Parazytol (1979) 25(1):77-81 Published in Polish
Other References:
Vuksan V et al., “Konjac-mannan (glucomannan) improves glycemia and other associated risk factors for coronary heart disease in Type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled metabolic trial.” Diabetes Care 1999;22:913-9.
Vuksan V et al. “Beneficial effects of viscous dietary fiber from Konjac-mannan in subjects with the insulin resistance syndrome: results of a controlled metabolic trial.” Diabetes Care 2000;23:9-14.
Baskaran K et al., “Antidiabetic effect of a leaf extract from Gymnema sylvestre in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus patients.” J Ethnopharmacol 1990; 30:295–305.
Srivastava Y et al., “Antidiabetic and adaptogenic properties of Momordica charantia extract: an experimental and clinical evaluation.” Phytotherapy Res 1993; 7:285–289.
Reljanovic M et al., “Treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy with the antioxidant thioctic acid (alpha-lipoic acid): a two year multicenter randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (ALADIN II). Alpha Lipoic Acid in Diabetic Neuropathy.” Free Radic Res 1999;31:171-9.
Jacob S et al., “Oral administration of RAC-alpha-lipoic acid modulates insulin sensitivity in patients with Type-2 diabetes mellitus: a placebo-controlled pilot trial.” Free Radic Biol Med 1999;27:309-14.
