South Asian and Chinese medical systems: Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine treatments for diabetes mellitus, type 2

Ayurvedic (a South Asian medical tradition) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments for non-insulin dependent Diabetes mellitus, Type 2 were researched to test the hypothesis that if Ayurvedic Management Therapy (AMT) treatments were administered according to traditional and/or traditionally-inspired practices, then a blood glucose lowering effect would be observed.; The results of the pilot clinical research study conducted in Bangalore showed that AMT---any combination of four Ayurvedic formulations (32 plants and one fish species)---did not have a significant effect on reducing the primary FBG parameter by more than 20 mg/dL. Secondary parameters such as weight, LDL, and HDL cholesterol were reduced. The primary result may be due to non-adherence to inclusion-exclusion criteria. In the pilot clinical research study in Shanghai, the TCM base formulation consisted of six plants (plus four substitutes). An additional 21 auxiliary plants were part of the practitioner's repertoire.; The purpose of TCM research in Shanghai was to compare Ayurvedic and TCM treatments, specifically to assess the plants used. A comparison resulted in only two plants in common: Curcuma longa L. and Cyperus rotundus L. Both these plants were part of the auxiliary/complementary TCM formulation and were not included in the base formula.; Ayurvedic management therapy was evaluated in order to move beyond a research paradigm that searches for a single, isolated compound. The first step in identifying effective treatment protocols may be the testing of patient outcomes. A shift from identifying bioactive ingredients to identifying formulations, management treatments, or protocol strategies may be a more effective way to help patients who are suffering from disease. An approach that respects the parameters of Ayurvedic and TCM traditions should be developed in collaboration with the Western biomedical paradigm where scientific traditions are rigorously challenged, and potentially improved in the process.