The Best Natural Diabetes Supplements

Diabetes is a nutritional disorder that causes high blood sugar. Eating a healthy diet with regular workouts is the primary approach recommended by doctors to manage diabetes.

The Importance of supplements in Managing Diabetes

Most diabetes treatments focus on managing and controlling, but nutritional support is usually a forgotten concept. The thing is diabetes is a nutritional wasting condition. Low levels of insulin result in elevated glucose concentrations in the blood. The high blood sugar leads to osmotic diuresis and a lot of the blood-soluble vitamins and minerals lost in the process.

Nutritional support treatment focuses on maintaining and restoring the body’s optimal nutritional status.

Diabetes Supplements help your body regulate its insulin levels. Taking the supplements is critical to your health. Most supplements are in multi-vitamin and mineral forms. These nutrients facilitate the production of insulin or increase the cells sensitivity to insulin. They also help in preventing diabetes-related problems.

The multivitamins have to be taken daily for the treatment to be effective. However, they should not be used to replace treatment and therapy. The supplements act as boosters to help maintain and improve Type II Diabetes.

The Best Supplements for Diabetes

Multivitamins have a small dosage of the required nutrients, but when supplemented with other nutrients they are a perfect control strategy. The following supplements are effective in the management of diabetes:

B-Complex Vitamins

Vitamin B-1 is crucial for people with diabetes. Since thiamine (Vitamin B-1) is water soluble, individuals with Type II Diabetes usually have low amounts of the vitamin. Benfotiamine (thiamine supplement) is lipid soluble and can penetrate cells easily.

Vitamin B-6, 12 and 9 are important in regulating nerve health. Biotin is crucial for proper metabolism and growth.

Vitamin C

For insulin dependent Diabetes mellitus, Vitamin C acts as an inhibitor that normalizes the Sorbitol found in erythrocytes. Sorbitol is toxic to cells when in high concentrations.

Vitamin D

People with diabetes are at high risks of infections from periodontal diseases and diabetic ulcers. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. It stimulates the production of antimicrobial peptides called cathelicidins. The antimicrobial peptides destroy viruses, bacteria, and other disease-causing agents. People with diabetes are advised to ensure that they take the vitamin.

Vitamin E

This is a group of tocopherols and tocotrienols compounds characterized by distinctive antioxidants activities. Vitamin E supplements are highly recommended for their role in glucose control and maintaining nerve health; the two play important roles in diabetes. Antioxidants protect the cells free oxygen radicals.

Synthetic forms of vitamin E usually labeled as “DL” are only half as active as the same amount of natural Vitamin E (RRR-alpha-tocopherol) labeled with a “d”. That is why the natural form is recommended over synthetic form.

Chromium

The trace element chromium is essential in carbohydrate metabolism. Research shows that low levels of chromium supplements are useful when controlling diabetes, but higher doses could pose a health risk. Patients with diabetes responded well to a chromium based supplement study.

Magnesium and Zinc

The study “Trace elements in Diabetes mellitus” showed that reduced levels of the trace elements led to altered metabolism, poor glycemic control and increased diuresis; which are the symptoms of diabetes. Magnesium also increases cell susceptibility to insulin thereby regulating blood sugar levels.

Banaba Leaf Extract

The extracts have corosolic acid as the active ingredient. Corosolic acid has blood sugar regulating properties. In a study that involved demonstration of the extracts properties in cell cultures, the researchers found out that the herb extracts stimulate glucose uptake.

Gymnema sylvestre

It is regarded as the most powerful blood sugar support supplement. It can either boost the production of insulin or activate enzymes that help cells to metabolize glucose.

Bitter Melon

The supplement help cell utilizes glucose more efficiently and also blocks sugar absorption. A Philippine-based research found out that those patients with diabetes responded to bitter melon when used as a natural supplement.

Herbs have medicinal properties. They are effective but can cause serious medical complications, especially when taken alongside other drugs. Always consult with your doctor before using herbs if you are already taking other prescriptions.