How To Get Rid Of Diabetes? [2022]

Nikhil Goswami

Finding a cure for diabetes is tasking. However, studies show that some people can reverse the effects of diabetes. Through diet changes and increased physical activity, people with diabetes can lose the symptoms and the health complications associated with the disease.

Diabetes, although not curable, is manageable. Most patients can live relatively everyday lives if they control their condition. Blood glucose controls are essential throughout life. Without these controls, the body is exposed to high blood sugar levels. Therefore, a person is likely to end up with health issues like heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage. 

In addition, people with diabetes can develop complications such as heart attacks and strokes for more extended periods. For these reasons, doctors monitor the condition of patients after they have been diagnosed with diabetes. They do this to ensure that the patient stays safe and healthy. Regular blood glucose monitoring helps keep the person’s body in good working order. Therefore, constant medical checkups, proper nutrition, exercise, and good self-care habits can significantly improve your quality of life and overall health.

Many studies reveal that a healthy lifestyle is a key to ‘curing’ diabetes. Exercise, body weight loss, and a healthy diet contribute to a better lifestyle. But to properly manage diabetes, you should understand how it works. You can also try CBD for diabetes if you’re looking for options to cure your diabetes.  

What Happens When You Have Diabetes?

There are different kinds and levels of diabetes. The most popular ones are Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. There is also gestational diabetes and prediabetes. Managing diabetes depends on the diabetes type and the symptoms you experience. We explain type 1 and type 2 diabetes below to identify how they work differently. 

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes is an auto-immune disorder caused by the body attacking the pancreas. Most people get type 1 diabetes before they reach adulthood. Symptoms include high sugar levels (hyperglycemia), excessive urination (polyuria), and frequent thirst. Type I diabetes is a chronic condition that can damage your health. 

Symptoms include fatigue due to low energy levels, frequent urination, and increased thirst. The condition can also cause damage to the eyes, kidneys, heart, nerves, and brain. 

People who receive diabetes diagnosis of type 1 face a challenging task; managing their blood sugar levels so they do not suffer any symptoms or develop serious complications. Treatment includes insulin injections to lower blood glucose levels and dietary adjustments.

You can find a range of insulin injections. Some people inject themselves subcutaneously (under the skin). Others do it intramuscularly (into muscle tissue). Intravenous (directly into blood vessels) injection is also possible. The various forms of insulin differ in their properties, effectiveness, and duration. Insulin aims to mimic the body’s natural insulin production throughout the day.

Additionally, you can manage type 1 diabetes with implantable devices. Over the years, some studies have investigated whether or not an implanted device can manage Type I diabetes without requiring the patient to inject themselves with insulin. Researchers discovered that such a device protected beta cells in a mouse’s pancreas from auto-immune attacks for up to six months.

In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first-ever continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMs) implantation. CGMSs monitor glucose levels continuously inside the body without needing finger pricking and can provide data to help people manage their diabetes more effectively.

Type 2 Diabetes

It is much harder for someone to develop Type 2 Diabetes than Type 1 Diabetes. This is because poor lifestyle choices and external factors cause or aggravate type 2 diabetes. 

People with type 2 diabetes often have elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. It usually comes with high blood pressure and heart disease. Medication focuses on lowering both high blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Lifestyle changes include eating small meals frequently, exercising regularly, and weight loss if they are overweight.

In comparison with type 1, type 2 diabetes is far more prevalent. The blood glucose levels of someone with type 2 diabetes can be brought back to normal by making a few simple lifestyle changes. Furthermore, obesity plays a crucial role in developing type 2 Diabetes. People who lead an active lifestyle and eat a balanced diet may avoid creating it.

However, lifestyle adjustments can only make it easier to manage type 2 diabetes. They are not always enough. To improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels, most diabetic patients require diabetes medications.

Some medications for type 2 diabetes are Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, Biguanides, Bile acid sequestrants (BASs), Dopamine-2 agonists, Sulfonylureas, and Thiazolidinediones. You may need to take one or two of these or a combination depending on the severity of your condition.

Since lifestyle changes are vital to managing type 2 diabetes, it is best to discuss how you can improve your lifestyle to cure your condition. It would be best if you considered adopting the following options.

Low-Calorie Diet

Avoid consuming calories if you want to manage your diabetes. A proper diet is one of the main factors of an improved lifestyle. Aside from eating a low-calorie diet, you should also be conscious of everything you eat or drink. Eating healthy fats or other foods may be harmless. On the other hand, a high carb intake can lead to complications. Let us examine some foods to avoid altogether to improve your health.

Foods to Avoid

Refined Sugar: Sugar is a common ingredient in many food and beverages. However, consuming too much sugar can affect your health negatively. In general, you do not really need any sugar in your diet. And yet, there are certain foods, such as candy, cakes, bread, and pastries, that contain plenty of sugar. They are very delicious. But consuming these foods can increase your risk of developing diabetes, obesity, heart diseases, and more. It would be best to stay away from them to prevent blood sugar spikes.

Whole Grains: You should consume minimal grains with gluten in them if you cannot avoid grains. Gluten is associated with diabetes because your body starts leaking gut lining cells if you overeat it. This causes inflammation which then leads to type 1 diabetes.

Alcohol: Alcohol may cause liver disease, damage nerves, and contribute to heart failure and cirrhosis of the liver. Heavy drinking increases the risk of diabetes. For people who already have diabetes, drinking may make their condition worse.

Cow Milk: Cow milk can trigger the body’s immune system, leading to inflammation. Sheep and goat’s milk is good for your health because it maintains the blood sugar level. So, conventional cow milk may be harmful to people with diabetes.

GMO Food: People can generally suffer from various ailments caused due to GMOs in food. Hence, you should avoid consuming any GM food. Only opt for healthy and nutritious food items which are produced without the use of GMOs.

What You Should Eat

Cinnamon: Cinnamon contains a bioassay component that can help battle and keep diabetes under control. Cinnamon is known to raise insulin activity and thus stabilize the blood glucose level. However, if taken too much, cinnamon can increase the risk of liver damage caused by a chemical compound (coumarin) present within it.

 

Aloe Vera: Aloe vera is an evergreen succulent plant in tropical climates. Its leaves are greenish-brown in color, and they bloom in the summer. It has medicinal benefits like boosting immunity and reducing inflammation; it also improves digestion. Aloe vera is rich in vitamins and minerals and is highly recommended for people with diabetes.

Vitamin C: Vitamin C is good for your health in general. A recent study showed that people with lower blood levels of vitamin C had higher risks of developing type 2 diabetes. This is because the low level of vitamin C may cause insulin resistance. Consequently, if you suffer from diabetes, you should consume enough vitamin C in your diet. Foods rich in vitamin C include oranges, tomatoes, broccoli, and strawberries. It would be best if you also tried to have as much as 600 mg of vitamin C daily.

Water: Drinking plenty of water keeps you hydrated. You should avoid getting dehydrated and drinking beverages that are not healthy. Sugar-laden drinks are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, so sticking to water is good for your health.

Exercise

Physical activity is an easy way to control your blood sugar levels. But exercise alone might not be enough to get someone with type 2 diabetes into remission. But if you do combine training with changes to your dietary habits, you can make progress toward the goal of getting off medications altogether. Even small changes such as cutting back on added sugar, reducing whole grains, and swapping white bread for multigrain can lead to significant health benefits. And the effect does not stop at the finish line. People who stick with these improvements for at least six months see continued improvement in blood glucose control.

To prevent type 2 diabetes, people with diabetes should perform 150 minutes per week of aerobic activities, such as swimming, brisk walking, and bicycle riding. Breaking physical activity into 5 30-minute sessions throughout the week can help manage Type 2 Diabetes.

Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery reduces your appetite, so you can eat less without feeling hungry. Your stomach slows down digestion, so you feel full faster. You lose weight because you burn more energy than you consume. CBD for weight loss is also available which will help you achieve the same. 

Bariatric surgery is recommended for obese patients with a body mass index (BMI) above 30. It is also necessary for those with morbid obesity who suffer from diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, or sleep apnea. It can also help with weight loss after gastric bypass or metabolic surgery.

Obese patients can reduce their chances of having bariatric surgery if they lose weight before the operation. For those whose body mass index (BMI) is between 25 and 29.9, bariatric surgery may not be considered because it increases the risk of complications. In any case, you should discuss the pros and cons of these treatments with your doctor.

Fasting

Fasting can be an effective way to lose weight, although it is not a popular method to treat type 2 diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association does not recommend fasting to get rid of diabetes. Instead, the association recommends a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean protein sources such as fish and poultry, and unsaturated fats, especially omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, the American Diabetes Association suggests increasing daily physical activity, limiting processed foods high in saturated fat and sugar, avoiding large amounts of alcohol and sodium, and monitoring blood glucose levels regularly.

However, studies show that intermittent fasting can help, in a way, if you follow a well-planned schedule. You can fast on alternate days or do time-restricted eating.

Alternate Day Fasting

For alternate day fasting, instead of limiting caloric intake daily, the goal is to restrict calorie consumption every other day. It is a lower risk and easy to implement. A person can begin an alternate day fast by simply not eating any food on the designated days of the week. On non-fasting days, they may choose to consume anywhere between 0 and 700 additional calories per day. The idea behind the fast is to create a nutritional stimulus without compromising the metabolism.

Time-Restricted Fasting

Time-restricted eating means restricting food intake to a specific amount of time. On a typical 8-hour plan, for example, you could have breakfast between 10 am and 12 pm. Then you have lunch between 1 pm and 3 pm, and dinner between 5 pm and 7 pm. Then you avoid taking any other food after 7 pm (except water) and in-between eating times.

Fasting may have a few potential health benefits. For example, fasting might reduce inflammation, help you lose weight, and lower blood pressure. However, fasting may also improve how your body handles sugar. Also, people with type 1 diabetes can often reduce their daily insulin dosage if they fast twice a week.

Some organs that play an essential role in diabetes include the liver and pancreas. These organs store excess glucose in the form of glycogen. When you fast, your body burns fat rather than glycogen for energy. This process lets your liver and pancreas rest so they can make insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. Fasting also helps get rid of belly fat that is linked to diabetes.

While fasting may be beneficial, it also has its risks. Therefore, ask your doctor before deciding if fasting would be best.

What Doesn’t Work

When curing diabetes, you cannot always depend on every so-called remedy. Beware if you see a product claiming to cure diabetes or replace your prescription diabetes medications. With few exceptions, products that claim to help control blood sugar levels may not work.

Below, we discuss some remedies that do not work to cure diabetes.

  • Dietary Supplements

Dietary supplements include vitamins and minerals, herbs, botanical extracts, and other food substances that may help support good health. Some people take them to lose weight, although they should not substitute for healthy eating and regular physical activity. However, they do not cure diabetes. If a product claims to cure diabetes, it is most likely a fake and could cause more harm than good.

  • Over-the-Counter Drugs

Some over-the-counter drugs may offer specific remedies to certain conditions, but outrightly to cure diabetes. Some may act as food supplements, reduce sugar levels, or boost vitamins. But they do not cure diabetes. It would be best if you avoided those that claim to do so. Also, speak with your doctor to know how such drugs can affect your existing medication.

  • Alternative Medicines

Alternative medicine can be defined as any health care system that does not treat disease through pharmaceutical means or surgery. These forms of treatment are common in conventional medicine. Alternative practitioners offer them to their patients in addition to other methods such as herbs, homeopathy, acupuncture, energy healing, chiropractic, and others. 

In recent years, more and more Americans have turned to complementary or alternative medicines because they were dissatisfied with the side effects of medications, cost of services, and inability to get adequate results. Unfortunately, alternative treatments are also ineffective in treating diabetes. 

  • Homeopathic products

Homeopathic medicine comes from believing that experts could cure diseases without resorting to invasive methods such as surgery or drugs containing harmful chemicals. This belief stands on the point that an illness is not necessarily permanent; it may be cured if one gets rid of the cause of that illness. So far, homeopathic products have not been proven to cure diabetes.

  • Prescription Drugs

Prescriptions are medications that are taken for pain relief and disease control. The benefits of prescription medications include alleviating pain and living a more comfortable lifestyle. However, there are currently no prescription drugs that cure diabetes altogether.

FAQs About How To Get Rid Of Diabetes

  • What are some of the symptoms of diabetes?

Diabetes may affect many different body systems and lead to many symptoms. People often feel thirsty or hungry due to low blood sugar levels. They might also experience problems regulating their urine output. Other common symptoms include dry, cracked lips and increased pain during sex. Diabetes can cause severe damage to small blood vessels, nerves, and heart muscles, leading to extreme health conditions such as blindness, amputation, and kidney failure.

  • Are obese people more likely to have diabetes?

Obese people are at risk of developing diabetes. Those with an increased abdominal (visceral) adiposity are at greater risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. They are also in danger of having cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer, and sleep apnea.

  • Does diabetes cause other infections?

Diabetes does not cause other infections by itself. It may slow down your body’s immune system, making it harder to fight off infections. If you have diabetes, your body produces too much glucose. Too much glucose in the body causes high levels of sugar in tissues. When this happens, bacteria can grow faster, and infections occur earlier.

  • Is there a natural therapy for diabetes?

There is no natural therapy to cure diabetes. However, there are natural ways you can manage it. For instance, deep breathing exercises help people cope with everyday stress and frustrations. Progressive muscle relaxation also helps release tension and reduce anxiety. Guided imagery or mindfulness meditation could also improve blood sugar levels. 

  • Which supplements can cure diabetes?

Supplements do not cure diabetes. Some natural supplements may make things worse for people with diabetes and negatively affect their medications. Still, others have been proven to improve blood sugar levels, but never once in history has anyone proved a cure. Ensure you steer clear of miracle cures because they are not valid until proven through clinical trials.

  • What lifestyle changes are best for managing diabetes?

Even if there is no diabetes treatment available, you can still manage and reverse diabetes, and some patients might go into remission. You should know how to control your blood sugar levels every day. Check your blood sugar level frequently and take your insulin correctly. Bring healthy snacks, exercise regularly, and balance your food intake with medications, stress management, and good sleep habits.

  • Can stem cells cure diabetes?

Stem cells are promising. However, they aren’t a cure to the problem yet. Stem cells are cells that can develop into another kind of cell. A recent study showed that stem cells could create insulin-producing beta cells after injection into mice. Although a complete cure for diabetes does not exist, researchers hope these findings could one day lead to treatments that would help people with Type I diabetes live longer lives without complications.

  • Does Islet cell transplant cure diabetes?

A successful islet transplant can improve the quality and duration of life for someone with type 1 diabetes. It’s an emerging technology that’s still being explored. Islets are cells that can sense blood glucose levels and produce insulin. 

Islet cells come from donors. Once transplanted successfully into another person, the donor cells begin producing insulin in response to the metabolic signals in the new host’s body. This can enable the recipient to manage their dietary habits better and protect against serious long-term diabetes complications, including heart and kidney problems, strokes, nerve damage, and vision loss. The recipient must also take immunosuppressive drugs for the rest of their life to prevent the transplanted organ from being rejected.

  • How does a pancreas transplant help diabetics?

When someone has type 1 diabetes, they can undergo a pancreas transplant. They should choose a donor whose blood group matches theirs. Pancreatic tissue is taken from the donor and then placed into the patient. Once the process is complete, the patient needs to take immunosuppressants for the rest of their lives to prevent rejection.

  • Can Verapamil Cure Diabetes?

A 2018 clinical trial found that verapamil can help reduce high blood sugar levels in people with recent-onset type 1 diabetes. In the trial, participants with recent-onset type 1 diabetes were given varying doses of verapamil. Those who took the highest amount had significantly lower blood sugar levels than others who did not receive verapamil. Verapamil appears to work by improving the function of beta cells in the pancreas. Despite promising results from the trials, the FDA has not approved verapamil for diabetic patients.

  • Can smoking cause diabetes?

Research shows that smoking can increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 44%. The more they smoke, the higher the risk. Diabetes patients who smoke are more likely to suffer complications than those who do not.

  • What is the best prevention for diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is genetic and may not be preventable. On the other hand, type 2 diabetes is preventable. The best way to prevent type 2 diabetes is to eat a healthful diet, including low glycemic fruit and vegetables, keep a healthy weight, and get regular physical activity.

Conclusion: How Can You Get Rid Of Diabetes? 

No complete cure is currently available for diabetes, but new treatments could make living with the condition more manageable. Working directly with an experienced physician may help patients find treatment options that could lead to remission. Type 1 and 2 diabetes are chronic conditions requiring ongoing medical management throughout a patient’s lifetime. However, treatment measures can improve quality of life and lower complication risk factors.

Type 1 Diabetes is treatable if diagnosed early enough. Insulin therapy, diet control, and exercise can successfully manage blood sugar levels in people who suffer from the disease. However, lifestyle changes are crucial to managing the condition. Patients must avoid eating foods with high amounts of carbohydrates and sugars and follow an active lifestyle to keep insulin secretion at a healthy level.

Diabetes educators or registered dietitians can work together to provide diabetes care plans that meet the needs of diabetics and improve their health. They can make recommendations based on assessing the patient’s lifestyle choices and advice on improvements. Lastly, the experts can plan the physical activities and monitor the dietary intake of the diabetic.

 

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