Naturopathic care may provide benefit for type 2 diabetes

2014-07-02 15:03:05

In this relatively recent study, adjunctive naturopathic care was provided to primary care patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes.⁽¹⁾ 40 patients with type 2 diabetes were invited from a large integrated health care system to receive up to eight naturopathic visits for up to one year. They had to have hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values between 7.5-9.5% and at least one additional cardiovascular risk factor (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or being overweight). HbA1c is a measure of blood sugar over 3 months, and values of 7.5-9.5% indicate uncontrolled diabetes. A lot of information was gathered from these patients, including their problem areas, perceived stress, motivation, mood, and objective lab values. Changes were calculated form baseline scores and 6 and 12 months into the study. These values were compared to other patients who were not participating in the study. The results showed that at 6 and 12 months, improvements were found in most reported measures, including glucose testing, diet, physical activity, mood, self-efficacy, and motivation. The HbA1c values decreased in the those who were treated. This research suggests that adjunctive naturopathic care may be helpful for type 2 diabetes, but the exact therapies that are helpful cannot be known until more studies are done.