CHINESE HERBS CAN HALT

PROGRESSION OF DIABETES

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Researchers have recently reported that Chinese herbal medicine can prevent thedevelopment of diabetes in patients with a prediabetes diagnosis.

Prediabetes refers to individuals with impaired glucose intolerance, and presents a significant risk for progression to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Participants in the study were randomly allocated to two groups. One group took Tianqi capsules containing 10 Chinese herbal medicines for 12 months, while the other group took a placebo for the same time period. Oral glucose tolerance tests were performed every 3 months to assess whether the patients had progressed to diabetes or had normal glucose tolerance restored. At the end of the study, a significantly higher number of participants taking Tianqi showed normal glucose tolerance levels than those taking the placebo. The researchers concluded that Tianqi reduced the risk of diabetes by nearly a third compared with the placebo.

Furthermore, none of the participants reported any severe adverse affects from taking Tianqi.

Although the researchers state that their results need to be confirmed in larger clinical trials, they believe that Tianqi has great potential to be a safe and effective means of preventing T2DM.

‘With diabetes evolving into a serious public health burden worldwide, it is crucial to take steps to stem the flood of cases,’ said one of the study’s authors, Chun-Su Yuan, MD, PhD, of the University of

Chicago. ‘Patients often struggle to make the necessary lifestyle changes to control blood sugar levels, and current medications have limitations and can have adverse gastrointestinal side effects. Traditional Chinese herbs may offer a new option for managing blood sugar levels, either alone or in combination with other treatments.’