According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, 25.8 million Americans have diabetes. In 2010 alone about 1.9 million people were diagnosed with the disease. Diabetes affects blood sugar regulation,and many patients seeking ways to stabilize their blood sugar turn to complementary medicine. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 38 percent of American adults are using some form of complementary medicine, including using eucalyptus. Eucalyptus has been used to treat diabetes for a long time, and research shows that it can reduce high blood sugar in patients with diabetes. Before adding eucalyptus, however, consult with your physician.
Eucalyptus
The dried leaves and oil from the eucalyptus plant are used for a variety or medicinal purposes, including infections, fever, upset stomach, respiratory infections, asthma, joint pain and diabetes. According to the National Institutes of Health, the chemicals found in the eucalyptus leaf may help control blood sugar, fight against bacteria and fungus, reduce inflammation and pain as well as block the chemicals that cause asthma. The National Institutes of Health cautions that there is not enough scientific information to know how safe large doses of eucalyptus leaf are for human consumption.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease that causes high levels of sugar in the blood due to a reduced amount of insulin production or a resistance to insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas and is designed to regulate blood sugar in your body. Diabetes comes in three different types: Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood and is due to your body not producing any or insufficient insulin. Type 2 diabetes is the most common and occurs when the body does not make enough insulin to control blood sugar levels. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy.
Medical Research
Various studies have looked at the effects of eucalyptus on patients with diabetes. A 1990 study published in "Diabetologia" looked at a variety of traditional plants that have been used to treat diabetes, including eucalyptus. The results showed that eucalyptus was able to reduce the level of hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar. A 2010 study published in "Folia Morphologica" looked at the anti-diabetic effects of eucalyptus. Their results showed that the administration of eucalyptus improved the diabetic states and that the use of eucalyptus could provide a beneficial treatment for diabetes.
Considerations
While eucalyptus has shown possible benefits for blood sugar reduction in scientific studies, not enough is known concerning its safety for human consumption. Before considering adding eucalyptus as a treatment option, consult your physician. If you are taking medication to reduce your blood sugar, the addition of eucalyptus could reduce your blood sugar to dangerously low levels. Your blood sugar should be routinely and closely monitored. Eucalyptus also can interact with a variety of medications, so it is important to let your physician know all your medical conditions and medications you take on a regular basis.
References
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC); National Diabetes Statistics; 2011
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States; 2008
- MedlinePlus; Eucalyptus; 2010
- MedlinePlus; Diabetes; 2010
- "Diabetologia"; Traditional Plant Treatments for Diabetes. Studies in Normal and Streptozotocin Diabetic Mice; S.K. Swanston-Flatt, et al.; August 1990
- "Folia Morphologica"' Antidiabetic Effects of Eucalyptus Globulus on Pancreatic Islets: A Sterological Study; H. Mahmoudzadeh-Sagheb, et al.; May 2010
