vishnupriyas451@gmail.com Causes of Diabetes
Your body and extremities receive messages from your brain and spinal cord via peripheral nerves. These messages can become disrupted when those nerves are injured due to what we call oxidative stress and inflammation, which can be caused by diabetes or other conditions such as alcohol use, infections, trauma, or autoimmune damage. This disruption affects how your body responds to pain, temperature, and other sensations.
Understanding neuropathy treatment and prevention is crucial because peripheral neuropathy symptoms can significantly affect your quality of life. It’s essential to seek effective management strategies.
Importance of Neuropathy
Neuropathy can present itself suddenly or develop gradually over time; often, it can be quite sneaky until it becomes more apparent. Today, we will focus on natural treatments and prevention strategies for diabetic neuropathy. Treatment options vary based on the underlying cause of the condition. Many conventional medical approaches aim to reduce pain; for example, your doctor may prescribe medications like gabapentin, Neurontin, or Lyrica. However, it’s vital to address the root cause of neuropathy, which is often oxidative damage to your nerve cells due to diabetes. Treating this underlying issue is just as important as managing the pain since pain is ultimately a result of the damage.
Natural remedies can help alleviate pain while also protecting your nerves from further harm. There are different types of nerves affected in neuropathy. As I discussed in my previous video, you have motor nerves that facilitate movement, sensory nerves that enable you to feel sensations like temperature and pain, and autonomic nerves that control involuntary bodily functions, such as urination or sweating.
If you have peripheral neuropathy, you may experience symptoms such as tingling, numbness, sensitivity to touch, decreased sensation, or an inability to feel temperature changes. In more severe cases, you might not feel pain with hot or cold stimuli, which typically occurs when your sensory nerves are affected. Additionally, if your sensory nerves are compromised, you may experience loss of reflexes and coordination.
If the autonomic nervous system is impacted, you may encounter symptoms such as nausea, vomiting (sometimes referred to as gastroparesis), dizziness upon standing, excessive sweating, inability to control bowel or bladder functions, irregular heart rate, or difficulty swallowing. These dysfunctions can also stem from peripheral neuropathy.
Now, let’s discuss nine natural treatments.
Proper glucose management
The most important step is controlling your blood sugar levels. Proper glucose management is the most effective technique found for preventing and delaying the onset of neuropathy in both type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients.
Remember that both high and low blood sugar levels can impact your nerves. Your A1C level may be at 6 percent, yet you could still experience neuropathy if your blood sugar fluctuates significantly, ranging from 50 to 150.
Maintaining blood sugar levels between 1 to 11 millimoles is crucial because fluctuations can significantly impact your nerves. Keeping your numbers stable is essential for your health.
Strengthen your defense against damage
Secondly, it’s important to strengthen your defense against damage. Regardless of your efforts, your body will still produce free radicals and, in the case of diabetes, it’s more challenging to alleviate that damage. Extra support is necessary to protect against nerve damage, commonly referred to as oxidative damage.
But what exactly is oxidative damage? A free radical is a molecule with an unpaired electron, making it unstable. This instability gives free radicals certain properties that can be harmful. When a free radical is “active,” it seeks out an electron. Antioxidants can help by donating an electron to the free radical, thus neutralizing it and reducing its potential to cause damage. Antioxidants are crucial in slowing down and preventing cellular damage because they can neutralize free radicals.
Under normal conditions, there’s a balance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body, allowing it to function properly. However, when someone experiences oxidative stress—meaning there are too many free radicals—various health issues can arise, including diabetic neuropathy. Too many free radicals can overwhelm the body’s antioxidant defenses, damaging nerve cells and their DNA.
To combat this oxidative stress, it’s beneficial to incorporate antioxidants from external sources. Some key antioxidant protectors include alpha-lipoic acid, benfotiamine, L-carnitine, and vitamins B12, B6, and D.
Alpha-lipoic acid
Alpha-lipoic acid enhances nerve antioxidant defenses. It is produced by the body and found in every cell, aiding in the conversion of glucose to energy. As previously mentioned, antioxidants combat the free radicals that are byproducts of converting food into energy—a process that can create an excess of free radicals, particularly in individuals with diabetes, who may not produce enough antioxidants to counteract them.
High blood sugar levels can lead to the production of free radicals, which trigger dangerous chemical reactions in the body. Naturally occurring antioxidants, such as flavonoids, tannins, and phenols, are beneficial and can be found in various plant-based foods, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices. Dark chocolate, for example, is also a good source.
However, the amounts of these antioxidants in food may not always be sufficient for extra protection. This is where supplements can be helpful. For instance, our Sugar MD Neuropathy Support formula contains 300 milligrams of alpha-lipoic acid, which can support your antioxidant needs effectively.
Benfotiamine
Many of you may have heard of benfotiamine. How does benfotiamine help diabetics? Benfotiamine is a form of vitamin B1 (thiamine) that boosts a key enzyme in glucose metabolism called transketolase. By enhancing this enzyme’s function, benfotiamine helps reduce the accumulation of toxic glucose metabolites that can harm nerves.
Additionally, it protects endothelial cells from glucose-induced damage and aids in repairing any damage to these cells, which are the walls of the blood vessels affected by high blood sugar levels.
Thiamine
To elaborate further, numerous enzymes require vitamin B1 to function properly. Thiamine plays a crucial role in glucose metabolism within cells and also assists with neuronal and neuromuscular transmission. Individuals who are not getting enough thiamine may face difficulties due to various factors. Low thiamine levels can hinder the effectiveness of enzymes like transketolase and pyruvate dehydrogenase, which are essential in managing how glucose is utilized in the body.
Specifically, transketolase helps mitigate the buildup of toxic glucose metabolites that can damage nerves. It is also instrumental in protecting endothelial cells from glucose-induced harm, thereby potentially benefiting not only neuropathy but also retinopathy, which is a complication of diabetes affecting the eyes.
Thiamine is essential for maintaining various bodily functions. It’s important to note that diabetes can lead to a state of thiamine deficiency, even if thiamine levels appear normal. This is because the metabolism of glucose in non-insulin-dependent tissues, such as vessel walls, can happen at an accelerated rate, increasing the need for thiamine.
So, why did we choose benfotiamine instead of thiamine in our supplement? Benfotiamine is fat-soluble and has higher bioavailability, meaning it is better absorbed by the body and more readily available for nerve cells.
L-carnitine
Another important naturally occurring micronutrient for nerve health is acetyl-L-carnitine. This compound supports the brain’s natural defenses against nerve damage, memory loss, and cognitive decline, which are common issues in diabetes. L-carnitine is crucial for converting long-chain fatty acids into energy and enhances the activity of specific nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Additionally, acetyl-L-carnitine has been found to protect nerves from injury, which is why L-carnitine is included in our Sugar MD Neuropathy supplement.
Regarding B vitamins, they play a vital role in nerve health. A deficiency in vitamin B12 can damage the myelin sheath that surrounds and protects the nerves. When these nerves are unprotected, they can malfunction, leading to disorders like peripheral neuropathy. Even a mild B12 deficiency can adversely affect the neurological system and the brain’s functioning. For instance, patients taking metformin are at a higher risk of B12 deficiency because metformin significantly blocks the absorption of this vitamin.
Vitamin B6, on the other hand, is known to aid in maintaining the protective covering of the body’s nerve endings. Finally, vitamin D has neuroprotective effects that help prevent oxidative nerve injury in various ways.
Cayenne pepper
These are the components we include in our supplement to help improve neuropathy. What else can potentially assist with neuropathy? Let’s discuss a few more options. Cayenne pepper, which contains capsaicin—the active compound in hot peppers—is known for its pain-relieving qualities. It has been used in topical treatments, so you can consider asking your doctor for a prescription to use it on specific areas, such as your legs.
Pain management strategies can sometimes help reduce the sensation of pain by effectively deceiving the brain regarding the source of that pain. For those experiencing neuropathy, including cayenne pepper in your diet can be beneficial. If you prefer not to apply it topically, consider taking a capsaicin pill, as capsaicin ointments are also widely available over the counter. Although these ointments may initially cause a burning sensation, consistent use can progressively diminish neuropathy symptoms. It’s advisable to consult your doctor if you’re considering this approach.
Another effective method is regular exercise. Engaging in physical activity can help manage discomfort and improve overall health. When you participate in endurance exercises, your body’s pain threshold increases. Additionally, being active helps lower blood sugar levels, which is crucial in preventing or slowing nerve damage. Exercise also enhances blood flow to your arms and legs, where many of the pain-causing nerves are located. Furthermore, physical activity helps reduce stress levels, contributing to a decrease in discomfort and pain.
Taking a warm bath
Taking a warm bath, rather than a hot one, can also provide relief. The warm water can relax your muscles and improve blood circulation throughout the body, thereby reducing numbness and pain associated with peripheral neuropathy. If you have reduced sensitivity to temperature, it’s important to be cautious about the water temperature.
It’s essential to give up smoking, as it negatively affects blood circulation. Reduced blood flow can worsen peripheral neuropathy symptoms, including numbness and pain. Quitting smoking may help alleviate these symptoms and inspire positive changes in your life.
Aromatherapy oils
Aromatherapy oils can be another effective option. Certain essential oils, such as chamomile or Roman lavender, can help improve circulation and have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. These oils should be diluted; for example, mix a few drops with one ounce of carrier oil. Applying these diluted oils to the affected areas may alleviate stinging and tingling symptoms associated with peripheral neuropathy.
Lastly, consider meditation as a potential aid in managing neuropathy symptoms. It can help you learn to cope better, especially if the pain is severe and other methods haven’t provided relief. Meditation can reduce stress and enhance coping abilities, leading to a potential decrease in pain intensity. This non-invasive treatment offers you more control over your condition, integrating both mind and body for overall well-being.
Acupuncture
Managing neuropathy can be challenging, and while certain approaches may or may not work for everyone, they are worth trying. One option is acupuncture, a practice that has been utilized in China for centuries. Acupuncture stimulates the body’s pressure points and promotes natural healing. This method can trigger the nervous system to release substances that change pain perception and affect pain thresholds. Additionally, acupuncture helps balance the body’s energy, which may positively impact emotional well-being.
Conclusion
However, it’s important to remember that treatment is often less effective than prevention. For any disease, including neuropathy, maintaining stable blood sugar levels is crucial. Consuming vitamins and minerals from fruits, vegetables, and supplements, such as vitamin B complex, alpha-lipoic acid, and L-carnitine, can be beneficial even if you are not experiencing neuropathy symptoms yet. Taking these preventive measures can help you avoid the need for treatments like acupuncture or high-risk pain medications such as Lyrica and Neurontin in the future. Always pay attention to your symptoms and consult a healthcare professional if needed.
