Ancient and Traditional Foods, Plants, Herbs and Spices used in Diabetes

The  use of different foods, herbs, and spices to treat or prevent disease  has been recorded for thousands of years.  Egyptian papyrus,  hieroglyphics and ancient texts from the Middle East have described the  cultivation and preparations of herbs and botanicals to “cure the  sick.”  There are even older records from China and India. Some ancient  scripts describe the use of medicinal plants which have never been seen  within European cultures. Indeed, all ancient civilizations have  pictorial records of different foods, herbs, and spices being used for  medical purposes. However, there are fundamental issues pertaining to  the scientific evidence for the use of these agents or their extracts in  modern medicine. These issues are explored in Ancient and Traditional Foods, Plants, Herbs and Spices Used in Diabetes. 

Features

·        Investigates alternative healthcare paradigms that use traditional  dietary foods, plant-derived materials, and extracts to treat diabetes

·       Describes scientific studies using modern day biomedical techniques

·       Provides information on diets, specific agents, extracts and resources.

·        Many chapters focus on plant-derived material, providing a historical  background, uses, toxicity, and cautionary notes and summary points.

There  have been considerable advances in scientific techniques over the last  few decades. These have been used to examine the composition and  applications of traditional cures. Modern science has also seen the  investigation of herbs, spices and botanicals beyond their traditional  usage. Diabetes is one of the most common diseases worldwide, with over  400 million people with the illness.  With chapter contributions by an  international panel of contributors, this book is useful for researchers  in the area of functional foods.  Diabetologists, nutritionists,  endocrinologists, healthcare workers, and pharmacologists will also find  this book extremely valuable.