what kind of vitamins are out there that help diabetics ? I know I just read and article in the Oprah magazine that Vitamin D has some helpfull qualities, and I have heard of the cinnamon having good things that help diabetics also.....but what other ones are out there ? Is there a vitamin that can help with circulation ?
I am looking for information on this and who knows maybe it would also be of some help to the other diabetics or parents of diabetics on here ???
Thanks
so far, in all the research, the results are inconclusive (meaning some studies show benefits, some don't) about vitamins helping with BG control. personally, i'm all about counting carbs, checking my BG frequently, and being proactive with my insulin to control my BGs.
i can't see it hurting anything either, if you want to try vitamins to help. just remember some vitamins can be toxic because they are stored in the body (mainly A,D,E,K) so be wary of how much you are taking. also know that supplements are not FDA regulated so they can add any little extra ingredient they want (mercury has been in the news a lot recently).
so, uh, i have no helpful advice. HAHA! :D basically, make sure you get all the information before you make your decision. :o)
I talked to my endo about this the last time I was there! He told me vitamin D and cinnamon are both good supplements but he also mentioned Chromium. I have been a little afraid to try chromium because its a metal. Also have not heard much about any significant changes with the supplements... but I think it is a good thing to talk to the endo about regardless!
[quote user="Sami"]
I talked to my endo about this the last time I was there! He told me vitamin D and cinnamon are both good supplements but he also mentioned Chromium. I have been a little afraid to try chromium because its a metal. Also have not heard much about any significant changes with the supplements... but I think it is a good thing to talk to the endo about regardless!
[/quote]
My 2 cents. I just saw in a body building site about insulin and Chromium is good with insulin. But they did say don't do too much!
chromium helps with carbohydrate digestion. that's why it's sometimes recommended for people with diabetes. again, studies are inconclusive. :o)
I think the reason vit D is supposed to be good is low levels can't lead to more auto-immune diseases. And, they're finding T1's tend to be low. But, again, studies aren't conclusive yet!
I've heard the same about Vitamin D and about Cinnamon :) I have also heard of Vitamin B being good for the nervous system. I saw "Diabetic Vitamins" at Target (I think ?) but didn't buy them. I suppose they are worth looking into though!
Vitamin D is being found to be a hugely important vitamin for just about all body functions - and most Americans are deficient - esp. if you live in the northern part of the country. You can be tested for VIt D levels to know what your level is and then your doctor can recommend the supplement level. D is being found to be an important immune system regulator - which is why there is the thought that it might be linked to auto-immune diseases. But sufficient Vit D is also being shown to support mental health (can help mild to moderate depression). I've seen at least one article that suggested if you are eating a healthy and varied diet, then Vit D is the only supplement you need.
My primary care doctor suggested I take a whole slew of vitamins (she's an integrative medicine practitioner so is a big fan of vitamins). But for diabetics in particular, she said Vitamin D is very important and she also said that many diabetics run low on Zinc. The total list of things she has me taking include a multivitamin that has just about everything - heavy on C and the B vitamins, and also fish oil for Omega 3s, Zinc, CoQ10, additional vitamin D (over what the multi has), calcium and magnesium. In addition, I'm using a pro-biotic. That's supposedly to help the immune system since a lot of bugs apparently get in our systems through unhealthy GI tracts.
I've never been a big fan of vitamins so all these supplements are new to me and I'm assessing as I go whether it makes sense to continue long-term. my general feeling is my endo thinks it's overkill but has no serious objections as long we monitor my blood frequently to catch any problems.
I do have to say that I went to this integrative medicine doc in the first place because I felt my immune system has been off lately and I was having very frequent and severe respiratory infections that would hang on for weeks each time. It's probably too early to tell, but I do feel better and it's been a couple of months no with no respiratory infections (even though I work closely with someone who seemingly always has a bug to share.)
So, at this point, I'm cautiously optimistic that the vitamins are doing me good and at least not hurting me. One thing I will say though is if you are going down the vitamin path, it is absolutely essential you do it with medical guidance. As another poster mentioned, certain vitamins can build up to toxic levels in your system and do irreparable damage to vital organs - so it's never wise to run out and start taking megadoses of the latest vitamin craze without working with a doctor to make sure what you are doing doesn't clash with medications you are on or lead to toxic overdoses.
Hope that helps!
Alice
Alice, that's interesting about the probiotics. My GI doc had recommended them due to my gastritis (common w/ D), but I'd been too lazy to try them. Maybe I will.
Do you just take the zinc in your mutli-vit or do you take doses beyond it?
Thanks for that info Ali! I take an "all natural" multi vitamin, but I find that in general, vitamins make my stomach hurt so I don't take them every day :-/
She prescribed 20 mg in the multi and another 20 mg separately. I don't know about the zinc but I really do think the probiotics are helping. It comes in a powdered form for mixing in to drinks that needs to be kept in the frig to keep the little beasties alive. She said it's quite a bit more concentrated than what you get in yogurt.
Alice
I am not a vitamin supplement fan, however it's common for diabetics to be low on both D and B12. I get D and B12 checked with my blood panels, when I am low I take supplements, when I am not... I don't =)
Chromium is the only one I am aware of that can actually help glucose control in type 1 diabetics. If you run high more than you'd like, then it's probably worth giving a shot (no pun intended!).
I looked up vitamins and circulation on Google, and while I am not sure if the sites I saw are completely legit, vitamin E was commonly recommended. I'm a huge nut eater, so I am likely not deficient, but for those of you that aren't nutty (hehe), you may want to take E.
Vitamin D has made the news a ton lately because of its connection to autoimmune disorders. Most experts feel a deficiency in it contributes to autoimmune disorders while others feel we are deficient in vitamin D because it actually worsens the condition, but these people in the latter category (the Marshall protocol variety) are in the minority - most feel we need more D because the deficiency is actually a problem, not the result of some other kind of problem.
Finally, I've never heard anything about cinnamon and diabetes, or that it was even in vitamin form. :) I guess I'll have to look that one up sometime.
EDIT - just read further - for those who are worried about OD'ing, be especially wary with fat-soluble vitamins. It's harder to OD on water-soluble ones, but even then, moderation is key, of course. As for chromium being a metal, most of the minerals our body needs are somewhat metallic (iron, anyone?), but we only take or eat them in small amounts anyway, so I wouldn't worry too much if you have a metal allergy.