Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Diabetes mellitus type 2 is a significant heath issue for the Canadian indigenous population, as they are predisposed to this chronic disease. The use of herbal medicine as complementary therapy in this cohort of patients allows health professionals to bridge the gap between the cultural and therapeutic needs of their patients. However, the majority of health care professionals do not have adequate knowledge to safely prescribe or recommend herbal products. The aim of this research was to identify Canadian medicinal plants used by the indigenous population that may have an impact on diabetes related complications. We used the updated method of Whittemore and Knafl (2005) and identified 14 natural products with antidiabetic properties. The pharmacokinetics and toxicology of these plants were confirmed according to published retrospective studies. We found that the two natural products, Populus balsamifera and Vaccinium vitis-idaea , are unlikely to counteract with commonly used western medicine and their therapeutic properties. The bark of Populus balsamifera increased energy expenditure, reduced appetite, and decreased glycaemia and insulin resistance. This agent also exhibits anti-obesity properties as it reduces body weight, the grade of steatosis, and the accumulation of retroperitoneal fat and triglycerides levels. The fruit of Vaccinium vitis-idaea is also an excellent complementary treatment as it reduces disease-related complications and promotes weight loss. This fruit agent reduces LDL, inhibits advanced glycation end products, lowers the total cholesterol level, and decreases the grade of steatosis. In conclusion, this retrospective review will enable health professionals to better understand the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of traditional indigenous medicine and their potential use along with conventional drugs for better management of diabetes mellitus type 2.