Diabetic Retinopathy

Approach 

Chronic diabetic retinopathy is very well treated with natural medicine by inhibiting the sorbitol pathway and saturating the eyes with antioxidants. Retinal hemorrhage is harder to treat naturally, but at times can be cured with the use of high doses of antioxidants.

Clinical Nutrition 

Antioxidants: Naturopathic treatment of diabetic retinopathy involves the administration of high doses of antioxidants, including super oxide dismutase and glutathione IV, as well as herbs that decrease diabetic complications, such as jambul and milk thistle. Blue-light therapy has shown to be helpful in eliminating edema.

Botanical Medicine 

Aldose reductase inhibitors: Aldose reductase inhibitors, such as quercetin and milk thistle, are valuable tools in preventing sorbitol production. Diabetic rats given aldose reductase inhibitors have shown higher concentrations of glutathione reductase than diabetic rats that do not have aldose reductase inhibitors. Botanicals, such as jambul and milk thistle, have been found to increase the production of antioxidants, such as glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase.

Conventional Treatment 

Conventional therapies for diabetic retinopathy are primarily control measures to stop the hemorrhage by using laser therapy.

Case Study: Diabetic Retinopathy
While conventional medicine is typically used to treat diabetic hemorrhage in the eye, naturopathic treatments have proven to be effective. A man in his mid-fifties with diabetic hemorrhage in the right eye visited our office for treatment. The right eye was 20/50.
We prescribed the following nutritional and botanical therapy:

•  Ambrotose: ¼ tsp t.i.d.
•  Bioflavonoids: 500 mg t.i.d.
•  Vitamin C: 500 mg t.i.d.
•  Digestive enzymes: 1 per meal
•  Dioscorea: 500 mg t.i.d.
•  Vitamin E : 400 IU t.i.d.
•  Bilberry: 500 mg t.i.d.
•  Glutathione: 5 mg sublingually t.i.d.

Within 2 ½ months, there was no more hemorrhage, and the right eye was 20/20.