Apparently ingesting the juice from Opuntia pads and cinnamon can also lower
blood sugar but as you say none of these are a substitute for insulin.

A google search will reveal more info.


"Iris Cohen" wrote in message
...
A plant called Costus igneus / Costus Pictus believed to have
healing
power of Diabetes Mellitus. Could any one tell me more details about this?


If you do a Google search on Costus and Diabetes, you will find numerous
references. Apparently, extracts of some Costus species tend to lower
blood
sugar and perhaps reduce a craving for sweets. This might be useful for
Diabetes type II. However, there is no cure for Diabetes, especially Type
I,
and there is no substitute for insulin, which is an animal product or
synthetic, and cannot be ingested orally.
Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)