Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is one of the most important medical conditions of the 21st century. In fact, there is a diabetes epidemic happening in North America. Roughly 5.2% of the population in the United States or 13 million people have DM. Diabetes is the 4th leading cause of death as a result of a medical condition. Each year the number of people diagnosed with DM increases at about 6%.

There are 2 forms of DM to be aware of: Type I (Insulin Dependent DM) and Type II (Non-Insulin Dependent DM)
IDDM used to be referred to as Juvenile DM because the onset was almost always during childhood and Type II almost never affected children or young adults. However, in recent years there has been an alarming trend where young adults and children are being diagnosed with NIDDM. This diagnosis is almost always associated with weight management problems, insulin-insensitivity, and poor nutrition. NIDDM is a condition that takes years to develop and is preceded by a condition called Metabolic Syndrome.

The naturopathic treatment for DM and Metabolic Syndrome depends on the type of DM the patient has and where they are in the progression of the pathology. A thorough assessment must be made and important measures like fasting blood sugar, glucose tolerance testing, insulin levels, HgA1c, and CRP should be taken. The treatments must focus on identifying and removing the causes of the pathology and preventing the common consequences of uncontrolled DM like atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, retinopathy, renal disease, and peripheral neuropathy.