Dietary Supplements for Diabetes?

The incidence of diabetes has increased dramatically over the past 20 years.  According to the CDC, the incidence of diagnosed diabetes is now 8.2 per 1000 population which represents roughly a 150% increase from 20 years ago!

One of the major reasons for the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes is the concurrent rise of obesity in what’s been dubbed the “diabesity epidemic.”  As such, maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise program are two of the most important steps to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Though more research is needed in the area of dietary supplements that lower blood sugar, there is increasing evidence that some supplements actually help with blood sugar control.  There are also some simple dietary interventions such as eating more onions that may also help lower blood sugar.

1.  Do Onions Help Lower Blood Sugar in Diabetics:

They also noted that the sample size in their study was too small to reach concrete conclusions but it seems apparent that Allium cepa or red onion does indeed have glucose lowering properties which may be beneficial to those with diabetes.

2. Does creatine monohydrate improve blood sugar control?

The study authors concluded that creatine supplementation along with routine exercise significantly improved glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes (compared to exercise + placebo).

3.  Cinnamon improves blood sugar control

Both type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure are significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease.  New research suggests that adding cinnamon to your diet (for those with type 2 diabetes) may be effective at helping to lower your blood sugar and blood pressure levels.

4. Eat more dietary fiber to combat the metabolic syndrome?

For those with BMI’s greater than 25, it’s important to consume 30g per day of fiber from dietary sources. This study suggests that in addition, daily consumption of 12 g/day of psyillium will have additional health benefits.

5.  Green Tea and Glucose Tolerance and Diabetes?

• Green tea may actually have an antidiabetic effect which suggests that people who do have diabetes or are borderline diabetic may want to consider drinking a cup or two of green tea each day.
• Considering that blood sugar levels rise following a meal, it may be optimal to try drinking green tea either just prior to eating a meal or during a meal–then see if it helps you to control your blood sugar.

6. Blueberries improve insulin resistance

The study authors noted that previous research involving subjects consuming whole blueberries resulted in glucose reductions over time in a preclinical study. Essentially, the study results suggest one more benefit of consuming blueberries themselves.