Supplements for Diabetes
Key Takeaways
Research has shown that certain supplements may benefit blood sugar control in people with diabetes. These include chromium, cinnamon, berberine, alpha-lipoic acid, magnesium, and inositol.
Not all studies have shown that these supplements are beneficial, and more scientific research is needed before it can be concluded that these are helpful for people with diabetes.
Supplements can have side effects, which can be serious in some cases. They may also interact in dangerous ways with diabetes treatments or other medications. It’s important to talk with your doctor before starting any new supplement, to ensure that it’s safe for you.
No supplement can replace your diabetes medications. Although you may eventually be able to reduce your medication dose if your blood sugar control improves, you should not stop taking your prescription medications when you start taking a supplement.
Supplements are also not a replacement for a healthy diet, but an addition to your healthy eating plan.
Many people with diabetes are interested in doing whatever they can to help keep their blood sugar under control. Some people choose to use supplements as part of their diabetes care. In Singapore, research shows that more than 40% of people with diabetes use some form of complementary or alternative medicine, with supplements being the most common type used.
There are many different supplements that are marketed to people with diabetes. Misleading marketing sometimes claims that a supplement can “cure” diabetes, allowing people with diabetes to stop taking their medications and eat all the sugar they want.
This is not true.
There is no supplement that has been proven to cure diabetes. However, there has been some research indicating that certain supplements may have benefits for people with diabetes, such as helping to improve blood sugar control. Although a lot more research is needed to definitively prove that these supplements are useful, some people choose to try them.
Supplements should be thought of as a potentially useful addition to your regular diabetes treatments and healthy lifestyle, rather than a replacement.
Although it’s possible that supplements could help you to reduce the dose of your diabetes medication, it’s very unlikely that supplements alone will be enough to allow you to stop taking medications altogether.
Supplements also cannot be used to replace a healthy diet. You will still need to ensure that you’re eating a healthy diet with minimal refined carbohydrates (sugars and starches) and getting enough regular physical activity. A whole food provides a wide variety of nutrients, which work together to support your health. A supplement generally contains just one or a few specific nutrients. Because of this, supplements cannot completely replace healthy foods. Instead, they should be thought of as an extra boost of nutrition that may be helpful when added to a healthy diet.
Supplements that may help lower blood sugar
There are a number of supplements that claim to help lower blood sugar or provide other benefits for people with diabetes. Some of these have shown promise in scientific studies, although others have not been found to be helpful. The research in this field is still in the relatively early stages, and there isn’t enough evidence on most supplements to make a definitive conclusion about whether or not they’re effective for diabetes.
In general, if you decide to try any supplement for diabetes, there are a few important points to keep in mind.
Supplements are not a replacement for diabetes treatments. Never quit taking your medications when you start a new supplement.
Always talk with your doctor before you start any new supplement. This is to ensure that it’s safe for you and won’t interact badly with any medication or other supplement that you’re currently taking or with any other medical condition that you may have.
Many people assume that because supplements are available without a doctor’s prescription, this means they’re safe. However, even though they’re considered “natural,” supplements can certainly cause side effects. Talk with your doctor if you experience any new or worsening symptoms after starting a supplement. You may need extra monitoring to ensure that your supplement is not causing harm (for example, blood tests for your liver or kidneys). The risk of side effects is increased if you take too much of a particular supplement, so don’t take a higher dose than what is recommended on the bottle.
Many supplements can increase the risk of hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. It’s important to monitor your blood sugar carefully, and take steps to avoid episodes of hypoglycemia.
There are a huge number of supplements claiming to be beneficial for people with diabetes. Not all of them have been shown to be effective. For the following supplements, research has found that there may be a benefit for people with diabetes:
Chromium. This is a mineral which is found in the diet. Chromium deficiency has been found to cause impaired insulin sensitivity and high blood sugar, so researchers have investigated chromium supplements for people with diabetes. Some studies have found that chromium supplements can decrease fasting glucose levels and improve insulin sensitivity in people with type 2 diabetes. However, it’s important to use caution. For people taking insulin or other diabetes treatments, taking chromium may increase the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Additionally, chromium supplementation can cause serious side effects, including liver and kidney damage.
Cinnamon. This common spice contains compounds that enhance insulin activity, which can help to control blood sugar. Some studies have shown that taking a cinnamon supplement reduces average fasting glucose levels by about 25 mg/dL (1.4 mmol/L). However, there are some potential risks. Cassia cinnamon, the most common type, contains a compound called coumarin, which can lead to liver damage in rare cases, particularly in people taking certain medications or who have other conditions that affect liver function. To avoid this issue, it’s best not to take large doses of cinnamon.
Berberine. This is a compound that can be extracted from several different plants. It appears to help lower blood sugar in many different ways, including reducing insulin resistance, reducing the amount of glucose made by the liver, and increasing insulin secretion when blood sugar is high. In one study in people with type 2 diabetes, berberine lowered fasting glucose levels by 20% and hemoglobin A1c by 12%. In fact, there have been some studies indicating that berberine is as effective as some diabetes drugs, including metformin. However, it can have side effects. The most common ones are related to the digestive system, but it can also interact with a variety of medications and may increase the risk of bleeding. It can also stimulate uterine contractions, so it’s not considered safe for pregnant women.
Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA). This is an antioxidant, which has a variety of effects in the body. Besides decreasing fasting glucose levels, it may also help with neuropathic pain, which is pain due to the nerve damage that can occur in people with diabetes. Taking ALA has been shown to reduce the symptoms of neuropathy by 40 to 60%. For people taking thyroid hormone, ALA can interfere with the effectiveness of the medication. It can also cause digestive side effects.
Magnesium. This is another mineral that’s normally obtained through the diet, and some people choose to take it as a supplement. Multiple studies have shown that taking magnesium helps to improve glucose levels (both fasting and after a meal) and insulin sensitivity. High doses can lead to diarrhea and other digestive symptoms.
Inositol. This is a type of carbohydrate that’s naturally found in the body. It helps to improve insulin sensitivity, because this molecule is used by cells as part of the insulin response. When it’s taken as a supplement, studies have shown that inositol can lower both fasting glucose levels and hemoglobin A1c. It causes very few side effects, although some people experience mild digestive symptoms.
Although these supplements have been found to have benefits in some studies, most of these studies have been relatively small, and have not always been well-controlled. We will need a lot more scientific evidence to definitively conclude that any of these supplements are beneficial for people with diabetes. Some people choose to try them, in case they help.
Always remember to check in with your healthcare provider before starting a new supplement, and watch out for possible side effects once you start taking it.
Protein drinks for diabetics
Protein drinks can be used to help replace part of a meal. You can purchase pre-made protein drinks that are ready to drink straight away, or protein powders that can be combined with other ingredients to make your own smoothie.
It’s important for all people to get enough protein, and it may be particularly beneficial for those with diabetes. Some studies have shown that a high-protein diet may help people with diabetes to achieve better blood sugar control. Replacing dietary refined carbohydrates (sugars and starches) with protein will help to prevent blood sugar spikes. Some people with diabetes may use protein drinks to help them stay full, so they aren’t tempted to eat unhealthy snacks.
There’s a lot of variety in how healthy protein drinks are. Some of them contain a lot of sugar and excess calories. Although these may taste good, they can definitely have a negative impact on your blood sugar control. The sugar can cause blood glucose spikes, and the excess calories may lead to weight gain. Even when purchasing protein powders to make your own protein drinks, there may be a lot of added sugar or other ingredients, so pay close attention to the package labeling when purchasing. Try to choose one without added sugar.
There are a few ways to make a protein drink healthier for a person with diabetes:
Avoid adding sugar to your drink, including natural sweeteners like maple syrup or honey.
Include some sources of fat in your protein drink. Fat helps to slow down your digestive process, which helps to prevent blood sugar spikes. Nut butters, chia seeds, or flax seeds can help to add healthy fat.
Add fiber to the drink. You could add whole fruits or vegetables, or you could use a fiber product such as psyllium husk. Flax or chia seeds also add fiber, in addition to adding healthy fats.
For pre-made drinks, you can add sources of fat and fiber before you consume the drink. Some protein drinks may already contain these nutrients, which means that you won’t have to alter it to make it healthier. When making your own drink, consider adding fat and fiber before mixing, and avoid adding any extra sugar.
Probiotics for diabetics
Probiotics are supplements that contain certain species of bacteria. There are a huge number of bacteria residing in your digestive tract, which are collectively known as the microbiome. The microbiome has a huge influence on your health, and the balance of different bacterial species can make a difference in many different health outcomes, including blood sugar balance. Some supplements also contain prebiotics, which are substances (usually particular types of fiber) that help to feed certain species of bacteria to encourage their growth.
There has been some research showing that taking probiotics may lead to better blood sugar control in people with diabetes. The effect appears to be greater in certain people, including those who aren’t taking insulin and those who had higher average blood sugar levels before starting probiotics. A lot more research is needed to be certain that probiotics are beneficial for people with diabetes, but this is an option that some people may want to try.
Some probiotic supplements contain sugars, which may be naturally occurring or added to the product to improve taste. It’s important to check for this, since people with diabetes need to keep track of their carbohydrate intake. If your product contains sugar, make sure that you factor that into your diet, and account for it in your insulin dose if you take insulin. You could also look for a probiotic product without sugar.
Supplements for diabetes are only one part of a holistic care plan
Some people choose to try supplements to help keep their blood sugar under control. While more research is needed to demonstrate that these are effective, there are some options that have shown promise in studies. Because side effects and medication interactions are possible, it’s important to discuss any supplements that you’re considering with your doctor before you start taking them.
Supplements are not enough on their own to manage diabetes. A healthy lifestyle is crucial, and medications are often used as well. Having support from a team of professionals can make a big difference in helping a person to create and stick to a healthy lifestyle plan. Our NOVI Magnum program is designed to help people with diabetes live as healthy and long a life as possible, with support from specialist doctors, nutritionists, and health coaches.
Learn More https://novi-health.com/magnum