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State of the Art of Diabetes Treatment in Greco-Arab and Islamic Medicine

Chapter Number: 
29
Authors: 
Zaid H.
Saad B.
Pages From: 
327
To: 
335
Book Title: 
Bioactive Food as Dietary Interventions for Diabetes
Editor(s): 
Ronald R. Watson
Victor R. Preedy
Publisher: 
Academic Press
Edition: 
1
ISBN: 
978-0-12-397153-1
Date: 
Monday, October 22, 2012
Abstract: 
In the Middle-East region, there are more than 2600 known plant species; about 350–450 of them are still in use for treatment and prevention of various human diseases, including cancer; diabetes; skin, respiratory, digestive, and liver diseases; as well as other diseases. Plant parts used include leaves, flowers, stems, roots, seeds, and berries. The fact that many pharmaceuticals used today were originally derived from plant sources suggests that some herbs may prove to be effective remedies for treating diseases. Nowadays, it is well accepted that there is no such thing as an ‘alternative’ medicine, but only that for which effectiveness has been confirmed using the scrutiny of evidence-based science. The scientific criteria for causal associations include biological plausibility, consistency of research results, dose–response effects, reproducibility of the research in different contexts using different methodologies, the strength of the association, and a correct temporality between cause and effect. In the following sections, we discuss the efficacy and safety of herbal remedies in the treatment of diabetes, prepared according to knowledge of Greco-Arab and Islamic herbal medicine.