Numerous supplements are proving to benefit diabetics and pre-diabetics in controlling their glucose control, however a list of supplements which might worsen glucose control garners little press. Maybe the good guys need to step back for a moment and allow the guilty parties to stand alone in the spotlight. Let’s take a moment to examine our lineup.
Niacin in high doses has long possessed such a reputation, but in reality niacin nudges glucose only a bit. In a Mayo Clinic Proceedings report study from 2008, niacin bumped up the A1C by less than 0.3. (1) Adjustments in diabetes meds covers this easily.
The next guilty party should startle no one. Digestive enzymes increase the rate of food’s breakdown and therefore their replacement in a deficient patient potentially raises glucose readings soon after a meal. Enzymes should not be automatically marked off the regimen because of this, but their addition in a diabetic patient requires consideration of glucose effects.
Unsure of where to stand, with the good guys or the bad guys, we find Conjugated Linoleic Acid. Consumer Labs testifies against CLA in their article about natural therapy glucose control, listing it in their bad guy lineup. On the other hand, the January edition of the Journal of Nutrition printed an article by Martha Belury finding that CLA slightly lowered fasting glucose and insulin levels while elevating leptin. The jury seems to be out still.
Carrying on the topic of fats, many partake of fish oil for its many health benefits. No alarm there, but some studies point a finger at krill oil as elevating fasting glucose levels (2). Krill oil may have escaped a conviction though with a 2008 Cochrane Database Systemic Review which found no statistically significant effect on glucose or insulin levels with krill oil supplementation.
Finally, Vitamin C also cannot decide where to stand. While some studies indicate a negative effect for diabetics, other studies claim a benefit for Vitamin C in diabetics. At the very least, discuss supplements with your doctor if you are adding vitamin C to your diabetic regimen. If your need for vitamin C outweighs the risks, don’t hesitate to take some C. Just don’t take anything blindly without some guidance from a doctor knowledgeable in nutrition and diabetes.
Not a very long list, but each of these deserve some scrutiny when taken by pre-diabetic and diabetic patients. Keep your eyes open and ask questions. Inform yourself and be a good steward of your health.
Mayo Clin Proc. 2008 Apr;83(4):470-8. doi: 10.4065/83.4.470.
Effects of niacin on glucose control in patients with dyslipidemia.
2) Diabetes. 1989 Oct;38(10):1314-9.
Effects of fish oil supplementation on glucose and lipid metabolism in NIDDM.
Borkman M1, Chisholm DJ, Furler SM, Storlien LH, Kraegen EW, Simons LA, Chesterman CN.
3) Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008 Jan 23;(1):CD003205. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003205.pub2.
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) for type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Hartweg J1, Perera R, Montori V, Dinneen S, Neil HA, Farmer A.
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