A Guide to Complementary Treatments for Diabetes:

For the 18 million Americans who have diabetes, A Guide to Complementary Treatments for Diabetes (Square One Publishers, 2010) may feel like a life raft in a sea of complicated diabetes treatments. And since most standard treatment programs help a patient control diabetes, oftentimes the things done to box in the disease are not effective at preventing the serious, life-altering complications that may come about from it.

If you or a loved one have diabetes, you are no doubt familiar with some of these terrible complications, including neuropathies, cardiovascular issues, circulation problems, retinopathy, and weight gain. The purpose of A Guide to Complementary Treatments is to offer natural solutions that may help keep some of these symptoms at bay or at least decrease the severity.

The author of the book, Gene Bruno, MS, MSH, is the Dean of Academics and a professor at the Huntington College of Medicine. In his introduction, he says that “the vast majority of diabetes books that I have read address issues relating to dietary modifications and the use of diabetic medications (like insulin)… A Guide to Complementary Treatments is different… This is a book about using dietary supplements and other complementary therapies to help treat diabetes and the most common complications that arise from it. As the name complementary implies, this book is meant to be an adjunct to the patient’s existing diet and drug program, not a replacement for that program.”

With the mission of the book clearly laid out, Bruno goes on to tackle the most persistent problems diabetics face by offering potential natural treatments that may be found in your local pharmacy. From popular antioxidants like green tea to less common herbs like Coleus forskohlii, Bruno introduces alternative therapies, tells the reader why they may be effective by citing scientific studies, and even offers dosing information. In addition, he writes about the possible effectiveness of physical treatments like acupuncture and tai chi. And since diet plays such an important role in treating diabetes, there’s even information about how to find your own personal chef.

As you’ve no doubt noticed, no stone is left unturned in this thorough, practical book. As Chris Kilham, author of the best-selling book Medicine Hunter states, “I have come to expect the highest scholarship from Gene Bruno, and that is exactly what he delivers here. This is a highly valuable health guide.