Many diabetes medications fall under the category of sulphonylurea class drugs. For the type II diabetic, recommending a sulphonylurea class drug, with brand names such as Amaryl, Duetact, Glucotrol, Metaglip, DiaBeta, Prandin, Glynase, Micronase, Glucovance or Starlix is a lot like suggesting that someone who just ingested rat poison take more rat poison. It is guaranteed to cure the patient – through death.
To understand how serious this poison is, let’s look at the role of insulin. Most diabetics are aware that insulin signals the cells to take sugar from the blood and use it as energy. As the sugar goes away, so does the insulin. Insulin is a hormone with an instinct for helping us survive. It tells us to eat carbohydrates and to be really satisfied by eating them. It also carries sugars to the liver to be stored as fat for future use.
This would be an extremely useful survival skill if we lived in a feast or famine society, as our forefathers did as hunter/gatherers. As it is, since we live in a perpetual “feast” state, with fast food in the building and a vending machine around the corner, many people release more insulin than necessary, eventually leading to insulin insensitivity.
Insulin insensitivity means that it takes more and more insulin to trigger the cells to take in the energy, thus blood sugar levels increase and overall energy decreases. This leads to diabetes, defined as an inability to control blood sugar resulting in high levels of glucose in the blood. Many doctors attempt to bring the levels of glucose down by using sulphonylurea class drugs.
Sulphonylurea Class Drugs Cause High Insulin Levels
These drugs directly attach to the beta cells of the pancreas, forcing them to secrete insulin constantly. The idea behind them is fairly simple: lower the blood sugar levels by producing more insulin. Sulphonylurea class drugs force the beta cells of the pancreas to secrete insulin, whether there’s a need for it or not. The side effects: excessive levels of insulin.
Just say no to sulphonylurea class drugs! (Tweet Me)
Once a person realizes what insulin does, one can see that increasing the amount of insulin in the blood stream will decrease blood sugar levels, but will do nothing for increasing overall health. Here are a few of the problems commonly seen with people taking sulphonylurea class drugs:
- Hypoglycemia (dangerously low blood sugar). Hypoglycemia is common and extremely hard to regulate. Patients who are able to “handle” sulphonylurea class drugs are typically instructed to increase blood sugar levels. This defeats the whole purpose of extra insulin.
- Hyperinsulinemia. This is the condition of having excessive insulin in the body, resulting in high blood pressure, high cholesterol, weight gain, insulin resistance, hardening of the arteries, and diabetes.
- Diabetes. Since diabetes is caused by excessive insulin resulting in insulin insensitivity, it is counterproductive to increase the damaging insulin even more.
- Cardiovascular Disease. Excessive levels of insulin are directly linked to higher incidences of heart attacks.
- Obesity. Excessive insulin directly contributes to weight gain, and “slow metabolism,” so that even with decreased calories, weight will easily increase.
- Carb Cravings – The extra insulin causes cravings that will make it even more difficult to maintain proper blood sugar levels and weight.
Sulphonylurea Class Drugs Tax The Kidneys
Additionally, sulphonylurea medicines are hard on the kidneys, which are frequently overtaxed already in a diabetic. Wouldn’t it make more sense to cure diabetes naturally, without the use of poisons such as sulphonylurea class drugs that exacerbate diabetes and decrease overall health? A natural cure, consisting of a healthy diet and proper exercise will reverse the diabetes, increase insulin sensitivity, and naturally decrease both blood sugar levels AND insulin levels.
Sources:
“The Carbohydrate Addict’s Lifespan Program” by Drs. Richard F. Heller and Rachael F. Heller.
“Drugs that Force the Pancreas to Produce (or Overproduce) Insulin” at Blood Sugar 101: What They Don’t Tell You About Diabetes by Jenny Ruhl.
“Hyperinsulinemia” at WebMd.com
“Sulfonylureas for Type II Diabetes” at WebMd.com
