🩺 Clinical Applications
- Diabetes mellitus
- High blood glucose and/or high urine ketone levels
- Classic diabetic symptoms: polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (excessive thirst), and/or polyphagia (increased appetite)
🩺Western Therapeutic Actions
- 🔽 Antihyperglycemic: Lowers plasma glucose by enhancing insulin production and release
- 🛡️ Antidiabetic: Improves insulin sensitivity
- 🧠 Neuroprotective: Supports nerve health
- 🩸 Nephroprotective: Safeguards kidney function
- 🔄 Circulatory: Enhances blood flow to peripheral areas
- 🧬 Addresses both root causes and complications of diabetes, including:
- Neurological issues
- Renal dysfunction
- Microvascular disorders
🧧 Chinese Therapeutic Actions
- 🫁 Nourishes Lung, Stomach, and Kidney yin
- 🔥 Clears deficiency fire
- 💧 Dries dampness
💊 Dosage
📌 Take 3 to 4 capsules, three times daily on an empty stomach
⏳ (One hour before or two hours after meals)
💡 To effectively manage blood glucose, dosage must be tailored to the individual’s condition and treatment response. Diabetes severity varies from case to case.
⚠️ Cautions & Contraindications
- 🚫 Not suitable during pregnancy or nursing
- ❗ Do not abruptly stop prescription medications — doing so may cause hyperglycemia or diabetic ketoacidosis
- ⏳ Allow a 1–2 week overlap of herbal and drug treatments when tapering medication
- 💉 Equilibrium™ may reduce the need for insulin, but it cannot replace insulin for Type 1 diabetes
- 🔬 Patients on anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy (e.g., warfarin) should use with caution due to risk of bleeding or bruising
- Contains Dan Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza), which invigorates blood circulation
🥗 Nutrition
✅ Recommended:
- 🥗 Eat a low-fat, high-fiber diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables or consider Fiber Advantage Powder (Biogenesis) / Fibromin Caps (Apex) (link)
- 🍠 Favor cooling, nourishing roots/foods:
- Mexican yam, radishes, carrots, cucumbers, beets, potatoes, taro, malanga, celeriac, etc.
- 📘 Tao of Nutrition by Dr. Maoshing Ni & Cathy McNease suggests:
- 🍽️ Eat pumpkin with every meal
- 🥣 Make soups with cabbage, yam, winter melon, lentils
- 🧃 Drink juices of daikon, celery, carrot, spinach
- 🍵 Drink chrysanthemum tea
- 🍚 Steam millet with yam and a few dates
- 🍵 Use mung beans, barley, peas in soups
- Blood Sugar Balancing Diet (link)
❌ Avoid:
- Sugary foods & sweeteners (sugar, honey, molasses) (negatively affect glucose tolerance)
- Excess vitamin B1 & C (may inactivate insulin)
- Alcohol & tobacco (increase nerve damage)
- ❌ Spicy, pungent, or aromatic vegetables:
- Garlic, onions, pepper, chili, wasabi, cumin, etc.
🧘 Lifestyle Instructions
- 🏃♂️ Maintain regular exercise and healthy weight
- 🍽️ Follow a sensible, nutritious diet
- 🛁 Take hot baths to support pancreatic function
- 🚭 Avoid smoking and alcohol
⚖️ Legal Disclaimer
⚠️ This information is provided for educational purposes only.
Do not self-prescribe herbal formulas. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new treatment or supplement.
Adapted from Clinical Manual of Oriental Medicine: An Integrative Approach (3rd ed., 2016, Lotus Institute of Integrative Medicine)