Like many people who’ve been burdened with type-1 diabetes for more than a decade, my wife, Nicole, suffered from dry skin. Her hands and elbows felt like sand paper. Her knees and calves felt more like leathery snake skin. And, of course, her feet were dry and cracking.

Today, her legs and arms feel more like a newborn baby’s bottom than the back of a Burmese python. Other than a few stubborn splits in her heel, her feet look better than mine. What happened?

Well, first let me say, we tried everything to get her skin in better shape. Better blood sugar control may have helped a little, but nothing dramatic. We tried plenty of different ointments ranging from aloe vera to sesame oil to apple cider vinegar (ouch!). Everything helped a little (or at least stung a little). Nothing helped a lot.

What finally made the difference? Amniotic fluid. Rubbing and massaging amniotic fluid directly into her skin. After the first treatment, the very next day, Nicole could feel the difference. Fast forward a few weeks and certain areas of her skin felt smoother than a Teflon frying pan. The old dead skin literally peeled and flaked away, bringing forth skin a brand new layer.

It makes perfect sense. Amniotic fluid, after all, isn’t just a shock absorber while we grow in our mother’s wombs. Amniotic fluid “contains nutrients and growth factors” and even stem cells (according to the Journal of Perinatology). In many ways, amniotic fluid is like blood without the red blood cells.

And blood flow problems are probably the number one cause of poor skin and skin infections (including gangrene) among with people with type-1 diabetes. It’s a combination of too little blood flow at too high a pressure through too constricted blood vessels. Less blood, means less oxygen, less nutrients, less water. Plus, without proper blood flow, waste products can’t be removed from the skin. Such circulation problems are, of course, caused in part by high blood sugars. High blood sugars cause all three of those problems (and more). But, I also would argue that diabetes itself may be caused by poor circulation in the first place (e.g. incorrect blood flow to the beta cells).

Now, of course, you want to improve blood circulation. But that’s not a simple achievement. In the meantime, applying amniotic fluid topically offers a simple hack that allows you to nourish the skin (as well as the organs and tissues below).

But where to get amniotic fluid? Surprisingly, it’s not that hard at all. It’s typically available at a moment’s notice. It costs nothing. And it’s served fresh. Next post, I’ll tell you how to get all the amniotic fluid you need to shed and  regenerate some of the worse cases of “diabetic snake skin” one might have. (If you think you already know the source, send me an email with your best guess. The first person to get it right receives honorary mention in the next post as being a really smart person.)

Thinking Outside the T1D Matrix,
–John C. A. Manley

P.S. We are also using amniotic packs to directly detoxify and rebuild the pancreas. So far it’s caused lots of cramps, but no increase in insulin production. Still it looks hopeful. At least a piece to the healing puzzle. Since amniotic fluid is free, I doubt we’ll see any “peer reviewed” studies about it soon.  Why wait? Be the Diabetic Experiment You Want to See in the World

P.P.S. Despite my high regards for amniotic fluid, I don’t think it will work fast enough to heal Nicole’s kidneys and pancreas as long as her mouth is loaded with toxic dental work. Fetuses don’t have mercury fillings. Once the root canals, crowns, bridges and fillings are removed, we hope approaches like amniotic fluid therapy will show faster results. We have now raised 14% of the funds needed for Nicole’s dental surgery. Thank you to all those have donated. If you haven’t, please consider even a $5 donation. Visit KidneyKarma.com to contribute or to find out more about how many diabetic complications may have more to do with with the dentist’s chair than blood sugar control.