The Value of Functional Nutrition, IV Therapy and Acupuncture in Diabetes Care

Generally speaking, there are four different types of diabetes:

Type 1: An autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks body’s own pancreatic cells. As a result, the body produces less insulin.

Type 2: The body becomes resistant to insulin. As a result, the blood glucose levels rise rapidly.

Pre-diabetes: When the A1c level in the blood is higher than the normal range. However, it is still low to be declared as Diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes: High blood sugar during pregnancy, characterized by the secretion of hormones (insulin-blocking) by the placenta.

 

Functional Nutrition, IV Therapy and Acupuncture can prove to be extremely effective at controlling the symptoms in diabetic patients.

 

Functional Nutrition

Functional Nutrition, a significant part of Functional Medicine is a branch of dietetics which involves a holistic approach to diet. While standard nutrition only focuses on nutritional composition and calorie intake, Functional nutrition considers integrative mind-body approaches to go to the root cause of a disorder. Functional nutrition considers the type, quantity and quality of food intake to be a way of healing the mind and the body. For patients with diabetes, the functional nutritionist will fine tune the food intake based on the patients’ unique needs. In addition, functional nutrition also focuses on lifestyle practices to figure out whether someone is getting proper nutrition even when they may have to abstain from several food items. Furthermore, Functional nutrition focuses on detoxifying the gut, maintain optimal sugar balance in blood, unexplained weight loss/gain, hormonal dysfunction, etc. to figure out how to provide the best health solution for someone with diabetes.

 

IV Therapy

IV Therapy can be incredibly beneficial for patients with diabetes. It is mainly because besides insulin, IV therapy is capable of introducing several essential vitamins and minerals: Vitamin B complex (Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacinamide, Dexpanthenol, Pyridoxine, Cyanocobalamin, Biotin), Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin K, Antioxidants like Glutathione, Carotenoids, Essential minerals (Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc Sulphate, etc.), and Essential amino acids (Taurine, Glycine, Lysine, etc.) Since patients with diabetes have to be really careful about their food intake, IV therapy can replenish the necessary nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants. The IV therapies would boost patient health and minimize complication. High-dose Vitamin C, Vitamin E IV therapy helps prevent free radicals from damaging the cells. Moreover, since the antioxidants are injected directly into the bloodstream, that increases the absorption rate and strengthens the immune system from diseases and complications of diabetes.

 

Acupunture

Acupuncture boosts the immune system by increasing the production of white blood cells, such as: Granulocytes, and Monocytes. In addition, several studies have shown that acupuncture improves and regulates the function of pancreas while improving blood sugar levels. A human study showed that in type-2 Diabetes Mellitus patients, acupuncture improved insulin sensitivity. As the study suggests, acupuncture reduced the level of insulin among the patients and led to the preservation of beta cell functionality. Acupuncture also relieves pain and moderates different regions of the brain that provide a holistic sense of comfort.

 

If you or anyone you know have been battling diabetes, or undergoing treatment for diabetes, please contact The Functional Medicine Center for Personalized Care, LLC (www.FxMedCenters.com) at 201-880-8247 or Specialized Therapy Associates at 201-488-6678 for our Integrative Mind-Body Health services. Our Integrative Mind-Body Health services incorporate Acupuncture, Functional Nutrition, IV Nutrition, Health Coaching, Exercise, Yoga, and Mind-Body Psychotherapy to support holistic healing and recovery.

 

References:

 

Chen AC, Liu FJ, Wang L, Arendt-Nielsen L. Mode and site of acupuncture modulation in the human brain: 3D (124-ch) EEG power spectrum mapping and source imaging. Neuroimage. 2006 Feb 15;29(4):1080–1091.

Gosmanov AR, Umpierrez GE. Medical nutrition therapy in hospitalized patients with diabetes. Curr Diab Rep. 2012 Feb;12(1):93-100. doi: 10.1007/s11892-011-0236-5. PMID: 21997598; PMCID: PMC3746498.

Gosmanov AR, Umpierrez GE. Management of hyperglycemia during enteral and parenteral nutrition therapy. Curr Diab Rep. 2013 Feb;13(1):155-62. doi: 10.1007/s11892-012-0335-y. PMID: 23065369; PMCID: PMC3746491.

Liu M, Chen J, Ren Q, Zhu W, Yan D, Nie H, Chen X, Zhou X. Acupuncture and related techniques for type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review protocol. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Jan;98(2):e14059. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000014059. PMID: 30633207; PMCID: PMC6336543.

Mirmiran P, Bahadoran Z, Azizi F. Functional foods-based diet as a novel dietary approach for management of type 2 diabetes and its complications: A review. World J Diabetes. 2014 Jun 15;5(3):267-81. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v5.i3.267. PMID: 24936248; PMCID: PMC4058731.

 

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