Aside from drugs, other experts
and enthusiasts in the field of diabetes preach yoga, and often herbs, such as
Gymnema Sylvestre, which is sold by Beta Fast and claims to lower blood sugar
naturally. While many have reported successes with yoga and herbs, no FDA
results have been published.
A more controversial approach to
diabetes control or cure is stem-cell research. A recent report in The Edmonton
Sun stated that proposed legislation restricting the use of human embryonic
stem cells would not hamper efforts to find a cure for diabetes.
Dr. Gregory Korbutt, an
associate professor of surgery at the university's Surgical Medical Research
Institute plans to use human embryonic stem cells as part of his research.
He believes it could offer his
research team the best hope of finding a cure for diabetes and other diseases,
including Parkinson's. But he warned that getting hold of the cells in Canada
is already difficult and new legislation could further restrict research in
Canada.
While stem cell studies will
likely have no effect on current elderly diabetics, the research and new drugs
should help a future that will likely be crowded with elderly sufferers of the
disease.