Natural Standard Blog

Acupressure Therapy May Prevent Diabetic Complications

Acupressure therapy plus diet and exercise plans may inhibit the development of diabetic complications in patients with type 2 diabetes, a report in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine suggests.

After an initial recruitment of 80 participants, the Chinese study followed 64 patients with type 2 diabetes for three years. All study participants were treated with conventional medications plus diet and exercise programs to manage high blood pressure and hyperglycemia. One group was randomly assigned to undergo 90-minute sessions of acupressure four to six times a week in addition to standard treatment.

At the end of the three-year follow up, patients in the acupressure group had lower levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol, and higher levels of HDL-cholesterol. Nerve conduction velocity was also significantly higher in the acupressure group, indicating preserved nerve function. Serum creatinine and urine protein, surrogate markers of kidney function, were similar between both groups at the end of study follow-up.

Given these suggestive results that acupressure may help prevent diabetic complications, such as kidney failure and nerve damage, further studies may be warranted. The Chinese diet and lifestyle may not be globally representative. However, if these results can be replicated in different populations, the authors suggest that acupressure may be an important adjunctive strategy to help prevent long-term complications of type 2 diabetes.

Non-pharmacological management already plays a significant role in the prevention of diabetic complications. Other integrative therapies have also been investigated in managing symptoms. For instance, alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) has consistently been shown to improve blood sugar levels among patients with type 2 diabetes. Ginseng and beta-glucan also have suggestive benefits in inhibiting the development of diabetes-related complications, although the data are not as compelling.

For more information about acupressure therapy, please visit Natural Standard's Health & Wellness database.

New Herbal Pharmacotherapy Resource

Natural Standard Herbal Pharmacotherapy: An Evidence-Based Approach is now available for purchase. The book provides practical guidance on the use of herbal therapies for medical conditions. This reference tool will be an essential part of herbal pharmacy core curricula for all healthcare disciplines.

Chapters are organized by medical condition and present supportive evidence, including potential mechanisms of action and dosing, for selected herbal therapies. The chapters also include integrative therapy plans to help clinicians quickly assess patient needs and create cohesive treatment plans.

In addition, adjunct therapies, including herbs, supplements and modalities, that are commonly used in combination with primary treatments are discussed. Case studies, which summarize efficacy, safety, dosing and interactions for high-utilization products, help prepare healthcare providers for patient counseling in clinical practice.

Review questions, similar to those on national board exams, allow readers to evaluate their learning and identify areas for further study.

The book also includes several appendices, which provide information about lab values as well as the safety, interactions and pharmacokinetics of select herbs.

Table of Contents

• Chapter 1 - Introduction to Herbal Pharmacotherapy
  
• Chapter 2 - Evidence-Based Integrative Care
• Chapter 3 - Psychiatric Disorders
• Chapter 4 - Anxiety and Insomnia
• Chapter 5 - Depressive Disorders
• Chapter 6 - Physical and Cognitive Enhancement
• Chapter 7 - Parkinson’s Disease
• Chapter 8 - Epilepsy
• Chapter 9 - Pain
• Chapter 10 - Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders
• Chapter 11 - Hypertension
• Chapter 12 - Congestive Heart Failure and Diuresis
• Chapter 13 - Angina
• Chapter 14 - Ischemic Disease and Heart Rhythm Disorders
• Chapter 15 - Coagulation Disorders
• Chapter 16 - Lipid Disorders
• Chapter 17 - Respiratory Disorders
• Chapter 18 - Diabetes
• Chapter 19 - Pituitary and Thyroid Disorders
• Chapter 20 - Obesity
• Chapter 21 - Menopause
• Chapter 22 - Osteoporosis
• Chapter 23 - Arthritis
• Chapter 24 - Gastrointestinal Disorders
• Chapter 25 - Liver Disorders
• Chapter 26 - Genitourinary Disorders
• Chapter 27 - Bacterial Infections
• Chapter 28 - Parasitic Infections
• Chapter 29 - Viral Infections
• Chapter 30 - Cancer
• Appendix A - Safety: Adverse Effects, Interactions, Pharmacokinetics
• Appendix B - Pregnancy and Lactation
• Appendix C - Therapeutic Class Tables
• Appendix D - Laboratory Values Answers to Review Questions

Several resources, including animations, Appendix C, Appendix D, Chapter 31, Grades A-F Tables and References, are available on the Evolve Web site. To order a copy of the book, please click here.

Natural Standard Social Networks

Join Natural Standard's social networks on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to receive live updates on product launches, new publications, job openings, upcoming events, news feeds and more.

These social media channels foster discussions about integrative medicine and present networking opportunities for students and professionals. Natural Standard's community encompasses health professionals, medical researchers and individuals who are interested in health and wellness topics.

Members are also encouraged to offer feedback about students programs, webinars and new products.

Vitamin C and Brain Development

Vitamin C deficiency during the first weeks of life may impair early brain development, according to a new animal study.

In the study, 30 newborn guinea pigs were randomly assigned to receive a standard diet or a vitamin C-deficient diet for two months. Guinea pigs, like humans, are only able to obtain vitamin C through the diet.

Spatial memory was assessed using a water maze and nerve cells in the brain (called hippocampal neurons) were evaluated with brain scans. The researchers found that vitamin C-deficient guinea pigs had significantly poorer spatial memory and 30 percent fewer hippocampal neurons than the control group.

Because vitamin C concentrations are the highest in neurons compared to other cells in the body, the authors suggested that the vitamin may play an important role in brain activity. However, it is unclear if similar results would occur in humans.

For more information about vitamin C, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

Wine for Radiation Side Effects

Compounds in red wine may help reduce the risk of radiation-induced skin reactions in breast cancer patients, researchers report.

Skin problems, including irritation, swelling, blisters, redness and dryness are common side effects of radiation. Although medications may help prevent these reactions, they are often costly and can cause their own side effects.

Therefore, less expensive, natural products have been gaining interest among patients. The latest study tested the potential benefits of red wine, which contains antioxidants, including polyphenol, tannins and resveratrol, that may have anticancer effects.

The study included 348 women who were receiving radiation therapy after breast cancer surgery. They were divided into three groups depending on the dose of radiation received.

About 13.6 percent of women who drank a glass of wine daily experienced skin reactions compared to 31.8 of women who drank a half glass of wine daily and 38.4 percent of those who did not drink any wine. However, the incidence increased to 35 percent among those who drank two glasses daily. The wine did not affect the anticancer effects of radiation.

However, these results are preliminary and controversial. Other research has found that drinking as little as one alcoholic beverage daily may increase the risk of breast cancer. In fact, researchers estimate that alcohol consumption may play a role in up to 11 percent of breast cancer cases.

For more information about cancer please visit Natural Standard's Medical Conditions database.

Webinar Forum: Guiding Patients on the Safe & Effective Use of Science-Based Nutraceuticals

Aaron E. Katz, MD, is presenting this month’s webinar, which will discuss the safe and effective use of nutraceuticals. Katz is an Associate Professor of Clinical Urology and Director of the Center for Holistic Urology at the Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Katz originally offered this presentation as a part of the 2009 Heal Thy Practice: Transforming Primary Care conference. The meeting, produced by Holistic Primary Care-News for Health & Healing, focuses on practice development strategies & business models for physicians.

To listen to the lecture, please click here. To download the presentation handout, please click here.

Natural Standard remains impartial and offers these educational webinars as an informational public service. All webinars are recorded and archived at www.naturalstandard.com.

Natural Standard values the opinions and views of its readers and welcomes feedback and questions about the latest webinar. Individuals are invited to leave comments below and/or e-mail to questions@naturalstandard.com.