Are you taking Metformin or many other imoortaint drugs like that? The benefits of natural, herbal or alternative solutions for serious illnesses like Type 2 diabetes were given added credibility in a Wall Street Journal editorial (January 9, 2009) in which the authors, Dr. Andrew Weill and Deepak Chopra argued for more funding of 'alternative?herbal therapies?" to resolve health issues.

These well-known health care 'gurus' were given considerable newspaper real estate and a boost in verification that many in the United States already believed in - natural solutions, as opposed to prescribed, synthetic ethical remedies to lower blood sugar and weight levels.

At one extreme is Kevin Trudeau, a well-known infomercial figure on most cable channels has been stating the case for 'Natural Cures' for years now.

And the best-seller status of his two books on this subject attest to the interest everyday Americans have, in finding a Type 2 diabetes solution that comes from a field or forest instead of a laboratory.

But critics attacked his background and, fairly or not, diminished his message that there was sufficient evidence to support a natural remedy for long-suffering diabetics.

Now, we find a conservative publication, like the WSJ, giving credence to Trudeau's message, through the voices of more mainstream personages as Weill and Chopra.

So what caused the change in attitude towards botanical remedies?

In recent years, the sorry record of the pharmaceutical industry, has caused the government, prescribing doctors and the general public to reconsider what Trudeau calls 'Big Pharma' and their expensive, often misguided, sometimes dangerous solutions to be reevaluated.

Avandia, in particular, is the product poster boy for bad medicine.

It was popular with many diabetics, taken in good faith that it would lower their blood sugar level and prevent them from the onset of related problems, like blindness, amputation, ED and other serious but non-life threatening illnesses and medical problems. How sad is this for these huge business than have brought us so much.

Instead, what these long-suffering diabetics found out was their prescribed remedy could be worse than their current health issue.

By taking this product, their blood sugar levels might subside, but at the risk of heart problems, even heart attacks.

The Food and Drug Administration stepped in, and 'black labeled' Avandia, declaring that Type 2 sufferers should seek 'options' for lowering blood sugar levels, other than this specific prescription product.

Safer ethical drugs are easy to find. Actos and Metformin, two well known and respected products were safe, didn't cause heart attacks and had a documented history of lowering blood sugar.

However?even these safe, tested and effective drugs had their drawbacks. Read the fine print that comes with your Actos or Metformin prescription.

You'll see that side effects, among many lesser problems, such as gas and loosed bowels, include weight gain. One of them even alerts users to the fact that it may cause 'rapid weight gain'.

This is a serious side effect for a Type 2 diabetic. As any physician will tell his diabetic patient, the two issues that need to be brought under control are blood sugar and weight.

Either or both will stimulate their illnesses into a more serious chain reaction of worsening conditions.

So the new panacea is a natural, herbal, botanical fresh from the garden solution that will make your blood sugar and diabetic weight disappear - right?

Well, maybe.

Type 2 diabetics jumping into the natural pool for a quick, easy and safe natural remedy need to closely scrutinize the alternative medicine industry as closely, if not more so, than the dreaded 'Big Pharma'.

Before taking a natural supplement, diabetics should talk with their doctor first.

Second, they should closely evaluate the potential solution, looking for things like USP or NF certification (found on the label), GMP or good manufacturing practices, ensuring that it's not made in somebody's basement, clinical studies for efficacy (hopefully conducted by reputable, well-regarded medical institutions) and independent studies, validating short and long term safety.

While it took a while for the poorly funded U.S. Food and Drug to investigate and shut down the manufacturer of a dangerous drug like Avandia, natural solution providers are subject to less scrutiny than ethical drug manufacturers.

So it's important that Type 2 diabetics fully understand the alternative solution they take has been subjected to mainstream testing, manufacturing and safety evaluations. There are many valuable newsletters out there like the American Diabetes Association, Mayo Clinic, Defeat Diabetes Naturally and others.

Get on the Internet, and be the doctor's worst nightmare - an educated, question asking patient.