(NaturalNews) Many traditional Chinese herbal medicines can be effective in the prevention of diabetes, a study conducted by researchers from the University of Western Sydney, Australia, and published in the journal
Cochrane Library has confirmed.
"There are a lot of herbal medicine products on the shelves, but few have been subjected to a rigorous trial," lead researcher Suzanne J. Grant said.
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 16 previously published studies conducted on a total of 1,391 adults who suffered from either impaired glucose tolerance or fasting glucose, both of which
lead to the mildly elevated
blood sugar levels known as pre-diabetes and raise the risk of full-blown
diabetes. In most of the
studies, participants were assigned to control their
blood sugar with either a combination of traditional
Chinese herbal remedies and
lifestyle changes or with lifestyle
changes alone. A total of 15 different
herbal mixes were tested, including Jiangtang Bushen, Xiaoke huaya and Tang Kang yin.
Most of the studies examined did not specify which "
lifestyle changes" were made.
The researchers found that participants who took
Chinese herbs were twice as likely to achieve normal blood
sugar levels as those who used lifestyle changes alone, and two-thirds less likely to develop diabetes over the course of a given study. The average length of the studies examined was nine months.
None of the studies found any serious side effects to traditional Chinese formulations, although Grant noted that negative effects are possible with any
herb.
Grant advised that anyone seeking to use traditional Chinese
herbs take them under the supervision of a qualified practitioner. Traditionally, Chinese
health practitioners have prescribed herbs based on the health history of a given patient, she noted. Therefore, it is not possible to recommend a collection of herbs that can be expected work for all people with a given condition.
Sources for this story include: abcnews.go.com.
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