Peppermint for Diabetes
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Peppermint is especially good for digestive and skin problems. It may also help diabetics who have indigestion, bloating and nerve complications. For medicinal purposes, peppermint supplements are available as teas, capsules, tinctures, oils and ointments.
If you have diabetes and consider using peppermint remedies, talk to your health care.
Improved Digestion
In diabetes, both the metabolism of sugars and fats are impaired. Diabetics have problems digesting fats; thus, indigestion and stomach pain are common symptoms. Peppermint may help diabetics because it improves the flow of bile -- especially when fatty meals are eaten -- and therefore aids digestion.
Bloating
The gut motility in diabetics is sometimes slow, a condition called gastroparesis. As a result, food stays in the stomach longer, suffers fermentation and causes bacterial overgrowth. Fermented foods and intestinal bacteria are responsible for excessive gas, manifested as bloating, flatulence and abdominal cramps.
Peppermint helps relax the digestive tract's muscles and relieve the excessive gas.
Peppermint helps relax the digestive tract's muscles and relieve the excessive gas.
Blood Glucose Levels
In laboratory tests, peppermint lowered blood glucose levels.
Diabetic neuropathy, a complication of diabetes, affects the nerves. Symptoms of diabetic neuropathy include burning pain, tingling and numbness in the hands or feet. Ointments or creams based on menthol, the active ingredient in peppermint, provide a cooling sensation and help manage nerve pain, according to Drugs.com.
Warnings
Peppermint may cause allergic reactions in some people. This supplement might interact with drugs
Peppermint should not be used if you have gall stones, gastroesophageal reflux or stomach ulcers, warns Drugs.com.
Peppermint should not be used if you have gall stones, gastroesophageal reflux or stomach ulcers, warns Drugs.com.
Considerations
It appears that peppermint might help with digestive and nerve disorders associated with diabetes. Ask your doctor about possible side effects.
Peppermint supplements should not replace any conventional drugs you are taking, and are not approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat diabetes or its complications.
Peppermint supplements should not replace any conventional drugs you are taking, and are not approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat diabetes or its complications.
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