The Diabetes Drug Scandal

Although experts agree that diet and lifestyle are the keys to preventing and reversing diabetes, the ballooning number of diabetics and pre-diabetics (estimated at over 10% and 1/3 of our population respectively) is too big a market for drug companies to ignore. With one toxic drug after another, they’re trying to convince the public that blood sugar regulation is a problem pills can solve. However an all-natural alternative approach is both safe and effective.

Introduced last year, canagliflozin (Invokana) is the first in a new family of diabetes drugs called sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors to be approved by the FDA. However, consumer advocate group Public Citizen has put it on their “do NOT use” drug list as having minimal benefit and dangerous side effects. Nonetheless, Forbes predicts it will reach $416 billion in sales by 2016.

Although Invokana lowers blood sugar somewhat, it does so by doing what drugs always do—interfering with normal body chemistry, thus creating unwanted side effects.

Ordinarily, the kidneys filter our blood, removing both toxins and nutrients for excretion in the urine. But ingenious mechanisms are in place to return needed substances, like sodium and glucose, to the bloodstream. Invokana prevents glucose from being returned to the blood so it can be lost in the urine.

But, dumping so much sugar in the urine feeds yeasts and causes genital fungal infections. It also promotes excessive urination, causing dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and dizziness. Additional side effects include kidney impairment and cardiovascular events.

Since the main reason for taking diabetes drugs is to prevent diabetic complications, and cardiovascular disease is by far the most important of these, you certainly don’t want to be taking a diabetes drug that increases your chance of getting a heart attack or stroke!

There is a possibility the drug may also damage the liver or pancreas, or cause cancer.

It is truly scandalous that harmful diabetes drugs like Invokana, Avandia (which greatly increases risk of heart attack and stroke), Actos (which raises bladder cancer risk) and Rezulin (recalled for causing liver failure) are pushed onto the public, when a low calorie diet has been shown to normalize fasting blood sugar in one week and insulin production and after-meal blood sugar in eight weeks, essentially curing diabetes. We have seen similar results on a less restrictive diet using a more wholistic approach maximizing nutrition, minimizing toxins and getting adequate exercise.

At Beyond Health, we believe there is almost always a natural alternative to using drugs. When it comes to controlling blood sugar, many herbs have been used safely and effectively for thousands of years. Glucose Regulation Guard combines five potent and synergistic pharmaceutical grade, non-GMO herbs with nutrients that support blood sugar metabolism to provide an outstanding formula.

Don’t rely on toxic pills! Adopt the kind of healthy lifestyle described in Raymond Francis’ books, and support optimal blood sugar with Glucose Regulation Guard.

References

1. Spence D. Bad medicine: the way we manage diabetes. British Medical Journal. April 2013;346:f2695.
2. Public Citizen. The new diabetes drug canagliflozin (INVOKANA). Worst Pills, Best Pills News. February 2014;20(2):1, 3, and 8.
3. Haiken M. New diabetes drug Invokana has major treatment—and market—potential. Forbes.com. Posted April 1, 2013.
4. Lim EL. Reversal of type 2 diabetes: normalization of beta cell function in association with decreased pancreas and liver triacylglycerol. Diabetologia. October 2012;54(10):2506-2514.