Diabetes

Symptoms

An incessant desire for urination, burning sensation in the urinary tract, continuous thirst and sweet taste in the mouth, attraction of flies and ants towards the urine, headache, dizziness, pale and dry skin, becoming old in appearance at a young age, discomfort all over the body, etc., taken together, are the indications of diabetes. It is often found that diabetic persons suffer from cataracts.

Causes

It is not always the case that sugar is present in the urine of diabetes patients. Diabetes with sugar in the urine is called somaroga or madhumeha. Diabetes without sugar is called mútrátisára or udakameha.

The debility of the mańipura cakra⁽¹⁾ is the main cause of diabetes. Amongst the pancreatic juices, one secretion helps in the digestion of food, and another separates the sugar content from non-vegetarian and starchy types of food. The sugar is then stored in a particular section of the liver and according to body requirements, it is dissolved to generate heat and vital power to run the body mechanism. Chronic indigestion, constipation (here also the stool usually turns into pellets), mental exertion without any physical labor, use of intoxicants, and excessive seminal waste – all weaken the vitality of the liver. When such weakening takes place, the sugar contents of the food, failing to find a storage place in the liver, are assimilated into the blood and gradually accumulate. As a result, the blood gets polluted and loses its immune properties to a great extent. The natural reaction of the body in such a situation is to try to purify the blood by separating out its sugar content and expelling it with the urine. To dissolve the sugar, the human body needs plenty of water, and that is why diabetes patients suffer from continuous thirst. Sugar emitted with the urine in a large quantity gradually reduces the vital energy of diabetes patients.

Treatment

Morning – Utkśepa Mudrá, Karmásana, Agnisára Mudrá, Upaviśt́a Ud́d́ayana Mudrá, Jánushirásana and Ágneyii Mudrá or Ágneyii Práńáyáma.

Evening – Yogamudrá, Diirgha Prańáma, Bhújauṋgásana, Pashcimottánásana, Bhastrikásana and Agnisára Mudrá.

Diet

As diabetes is a disease of the liver and pancreas, care has to be taken to keep these organs in a healthy state, and to do so patients must select food that will keep their bowels clear, yet which is nutritious and easily digestible. All types of fruits are good for this disease, especially ripe bananas. Non-vegetarian food must never be eaten. Vegetable proteins are also acidic, hence they are to be eaten as sparingly as possible. It is therefore advisable to reduce the intake of rice and rut́i (made of wheat flour) and instead to use more foods such as vegetable soup, plantain soup, pat́ol, okra, dhundula, paltá, láu [Lagenaria vulgaris Seringe], plantain spathes and flowers, figs, etc., which contain alkaline properties.

Dos and don’ts

Diabetes is the disease of intellectuals. Those who do physical labor seldom suffer from this disease. Undergoing mental exertion, remaining indoors for a long period, physical laziness, constipation, intemperance, etc., are reasons for the contraction of diabetes. As has already been said, diabetes is connected with the liver and the pancreas, hence only those foods should be selected that do not overstimulate those vital organs. Similarly, work and exercise which will help to bring these organs into their normal state of health must be pursued more and more. For those who are averse to physical labor, a cure for diabetes is next to impossible.

The human body also needs the nutrients offered by starchy and non-vegetarian types of food; therefore foods that are not acidic but rather alkaline, yet contain those nutrients, should be taken in greater quantity to meet those needs. This will include coconut, peanuts, curd (yogurt), bananas, etc. A drink of peanut extract and water without sugar and with little or no honey is ideal as both food and medicine for this disease.

Remember that insulin may increase the vitality of a patient but can never cure the disease.

Generally, diabetes patients are a bit greedy, and sometimes they eat too much-sweetened food, which brings on the disease. Diabetes patients must keep control over such temptations and should practice fasting.

In the severe stage of the disease, a continuous fast for two or three days taking nothing but a little juice of a lemon or other fruit will definitely reduce the sugar content of the urine.

Sometimes sugar is completely absent in the urine. In this respect, one has to remember that sugar may be found temporarily in the urine if the urinary bladder, kidney, or some other internal organ is subjected to a blow. If in such cases insulin is given, it will harm the patient. Under such circumstances, the best thing to do would be to treat the injury of the concerned organ appropriately, and then the urine of the patient will automatically become sugar-free.

Some remedies

1. Boil myrobalan, muthá, lodhá, and banyan fruits in equal quantities and drink 2 tolas of the extract early in the morning for a few days regularly. This will bring a good result.

2. Crush about 1/8 seer of peyárá pátá [guava leaves] in water at night. The next morning strain the leaves out and drink the water. This will bring good results during the severe state of diabetes.

3. (a) 1 tola of yajiṋa d́umura juice with honey; or (b) 1 tola of telákucá leaf extract taken with honey early in the morning by licking it; will relieve diabetes.

4. (a) 1/16 tola of the inside of jám seeds with honey; or (b) dry shimúla root crushed with powder, to be licked with honey in a quantity of 1/16 tola; will yield excellent results in diabetes.

5. When the disease is worsening, 5 tolas of báṋsha leaves in half a seer of water, boiled down to 1/8 seer, and the leaves strained out, should be drunk for immediate results.

6. Boil gent́e durbá [see durbá in Glossary], yajiṋa d́umura, emblic myrobalan [Emblica officinalis Gaertn.], myrobalan, coriander seeds, and gandha-muthá in equal quantities in half a seer of water. When boiled down to 1/8 seer, drink it. Do this every day for a week at the break of dawn. This will bring beautiful results.