I doubt anyone would advise you on that. Whoever does take it needs to
follow the advice of a professsional in your area. I found another
tidbit of info. Burdock root also has inulin. It often reaches 40% or more
of the root. If I were to try it for diabetes, I would try it and test
my blood sugar with the advice of my healthcare professional. Also,
usually any kind of herb is taken 3X daily and for how much, depends on
what you are taking: tincture, extract or decoction.
Dr. James Duke, who is very knowledgealbe in the chemicals in plants
doesn't mention anything about insulin in dandelion root, but Jethro Kloss
in his books recommends dandelion root for diabetes. Dr Christopher
from the School of Natural Healing states that the plant (doesn't say
which part) has inulin which is helpful for diabetes. I would also like to
find the info about the root being used for the inulin (or insulin) in
the dandelion.

Marlene

So, since they must be picked fresh, this can only be used in the
fall? Or does the insulin factor remain after the roots are dried?

My sister recently told me of Turmeric used for diabetes. I will ask
her as soon as she returns from out of town, but I believe she said
you take a tsp. or so of it and drink it after a meal. It aids the
pancreas in producing insulin, or something to that effect. I will
get back to you on this.

Hi to everyone :-)

Wendy

I hate it when dangerously bad information gets out on the internet!!

I'm not an herbalist, but based on my allopathic training, I heartily
doubt any of this!!! Insulin is a hormone produced by higher mammals
for glucose metabolism, and so far as I know has no place in
photosyntisis. Why would a plant have any reason to go around making
insulin at any time of year?? Even if it did, insulin is destroyed in
the stomach and intestines by digestive enzymes...that is why it has
to be given iv or by injection in diabetics. This means taking an
insulin containing herb (if there is indeed such a thing)would be
useless! Further, insulin as an isolated substance can help treat
diabetes by replacing or augmenting what the body either lacks (as in
type 1) or can't utilize properly (as in type 2). Insulin from any
source CAN NOT CURE diabetes!! Type 1 in particular is a potentially
deadly disease, and can NOT be managed with internet information
about herbs! Anyone with diabetes has to be carefully managed by a
MD. If herbs are used it should be under the guidance of a qualified
herbalist working in close concert with the MD.

Michael Tierra reports that dandilion can be used in hypoglycemia and
possably type 2 diabetes, but I would guess the mechanism by which it
does this would be acting on cell metabolism rather than exogenous
insulin. I forget the title of his book, and don't have it close at
hand, but his entry on dandilion would be well worth a read...it
really is a wonderful herb, when used properly.

Forgive me if I get on a soapbox when it comes to glucose
management...diabetes runs in the family and trust me...type 1 in
particular has to be managed in a tightly integrated fashion if herbs
are used at all.

Please, all of you, read critically, and use your head when looking
at posts on the internet. If you have questions, for goodness sakes
talk to a professional that you trust live and in person. The wrong
person acting on the wrong information could have devestating results.

Love Light and Health to all!
Baihu

I agree with what you said about not believing everything on the
internet. That's why I am studying herbalism through an accredited college. I
was getting so much conflicting information and am sure other people
are also. I plan to teach. OK, there is diabetes also in my family. I am
almost 56 yrs. old and don't have any sign of problems yet. We can
prevent diabetes if we really want to.

Now, about herbs and insulin. I believe I posted that the chemical in
these plants is inulin. It has been shown to help balance blood sugar
levels. If a tincture or extract is taken into the mouth and especially
under the tongue, it goes directly into the bloodstream. There are also
herbs that help direct other herbs to places in the body where it is
needed. I believe that if we have a healthy lifestyle and diet, we would
not have these problems.I don't plan to have any problem with diabetes
at all during my lifetime. If all herbs ingested by mouth were useless,
then herbs (plants) would not work and they do. Foods we ingest would
not help us either.

Marlene

I have worked with herbs for over 5 years and I have
books on all of the different herbs, if the infor
wasn't right it would not have been in EVERY BOOK.

This may stand rude but for some who is not in area of
natural healing and does not work with herbs should
not say what is and what isn't.

Scott Cunningham is one of the ones who talk alot
about healing herbs. All herbs for here for a reason
to heal and to be used, but you have to know what
herbs are ok and what herbs are not ok.

Thank you

Mrs. Marie Coke

I believe I've been misunderstood...if I may clarify:

1. Did I say that "all herbs ingested by mouth were useless"? NO I
did not! INSULIN as an individual substance, whether it is from
plant, animal or recombenant dna sources, is incompatable with the
digestive environment. As you may have seen in your studies, as I
have in my accredited college courses also, there are digestive
enzymes (ptylin, etc.) in saliva that begin the breakdown of sugars
and simple starches. This would render the INSULIN inactive even with
sublingual administration. While tinctures as a whole work
wonderfully this way, in this specific question, insulin does not
work in the stomach or under the tongue either one. Believe it or
not, mainstream medical practitioners are not a bunch of macabe
sadists...if there was a way to give it other than by injection we
would! It just doesn't work any other way, at least not until the
inhalation form is fully proven effective.

2. Yes, indeed, dandilion and other herbs have been shown to balance
blood sugar levels. Thank goodness! But they do it by a non-hormonal
means...they do it some other way than by containing insulin. I have
never seen any documentation even hinting that any herb contains
insulin in a form usable by humans. As best as I know insulin is
exclusivly a pancreatic hormone produced by animals. Even mainstream
allpathy uses drugs OTHER than insulin to treat Type 2 diabetes. I
would suspect that the herbal treatments are non-insulin as well.

3. You say "we can prevent diabetes if we want to"...for type 2, heck
yeah, we can and should do everything in our power to prevent it!!
But Type 1 and Type 2 forms are very very different, even though they
may share the name of diabetes. As for type 1, I'm not so sure how
preventable it is. I believe there is a gentic componant to this very
different disease process. My spirituality is such that I believe
diseases that supercede all attempts at a healthy lifestyle do so as
part of a profound life lesson or the individual's divine life plan.
But that is beyond the scope of a conversation about whether
dandilion contains insulin or not.

4. When you say "if we have a healthy lifestyle and diet, then we
wouldn't have these problems" I agree. Diet and lifestyle are
utterly, vitally important in preventing diabetes and managing it for
those in whom the disease has already began. Your message speaks of
prevention. The original message, to which I was responding, spoke of
using insulin as a "cure" for diabetes. This is just plain wrong!
Insulin does not CURE diabetes! Period!

I am very happy that you have had the wisdom and good lifestyle and
good fortune to avoid diabetes in spite of your family history. But
the reality is that there are people who do have diabetes in spite of
a very healthy diet and lifestyle, and there are those people who
take the internet at face value. I believe those such as ourselves
who have had the benefit of an "accredited college" education have a
responsability to give voice to better information when we encounter
mis-information that has such potential to do harm as this. While it
is well and good to preach prevention to the healthy, I believe we
must also advocate for good care and accurate information for those
who already have this potentially life threatning disease.

I'm so grateful Kathy shared the original message with us so that
alternate points of view could be aired like this. Thank you.

Marlene,
Hello again and thank you.
Its funny that you mentioned Gymnema Sylvestre.
I just got that name out of my Herbal home remedies book
and from a newsletter that I get in the mail.
He is under a doctors care and we are trying
to get him set up with the V.A. Center too.
Don't think he will have a problem with bowel movements.
Should he take the 2 together?
or just work with the Gymnema first?
What do you think?
Thanks again!
Heather

Actually, James Duke recommends an herb
called Gurmar (Gymnema sylvestre) and
Dr. Christopher recommends dandelion root.
What I would do is see if you can get the Gurmar first of all.
Try searching on the web if you can't get it an a store that sells it.
Good diet, 2 to 3 bowel movements daily,
and light exercise is also very important.

VERY IMPORTANT:
Be under care of a physician if he wants to try these.
If the bowel movements are not possible,
he needs an herbal formula to achieve them.

I hope this helps.

Marlene

I doubt anyone would advise you on that.
Whoever does take it needs to follow
the advice of a professsional in your area.
I found another tidbit of info
Burdock root also has inulin.
It often reaches 40% or more of the root.
If I were to try it for diabetes,
I would try it and test my blood sugar
with the advice of my healthcare professional.
Also, usually any kind of herb
is taken 3X daily and for how much,
depends on what you are taking:
tincture, extract or decoction.

Marlene

I should be mature enough to just let this slide, but for clarity of communication I would like to re-state my position one last time.

Marlene...I NEVER once in my life ever said that herbs don't work or are not utilized by the body, and I have to admit that I do not appreciate your propagating this misunderstanding.

What I said was that insulin cannot be utilized orally, no matter where it come from, plant source or otherwise.

Herbs are great. Herbs are wonderful. Herbs are beautifully effective. And as such, they deserve to be treated with respect. So do the people who choose to utilize them. In my opinion, part of that respect is trying to educate ourselves and others about how herbs can be used correctly, for maximum benefit and minimum adverse effect...just like in the recent conversations in the group about kava kava.

I for one am quite grateful for what Nature has provided for us. I will strive to maintain the clearest communications possible, and strive to give herbal treatment the utmost respect. Even if this means stridently and vocally disagreeing with inaccurate, potentially misunderstood, or potentially dangerous information!