Is It Possible To Control Your Diabetes With Nutritional Supplements?

Improper nutrition does contribute to the development of diabetes, but
proper nutrition can be a powerful treatment for this disease. (1) This
disease is so closely related to diet and nutrition; scientists have studied
how nutritional supplements can effectively treat diabetes. In researching
vitamin supplements, researchers have found that many vitamins and herbs can
effectively help lower blood sugar. Some of these supplements are vitamin C,
B vitamins, minerals like chromium and vanadyl sulfate, and herbs like
Gymnema Sylvestre can all help lower blood sugar. If one combines these
supplements together, they can synergistically work together to lower blood
sugar. First let's look at what diabetes is and then we can discuss how
these supplements work.

The foods we eat are digested and broken down into simpler forms; most
carbohydrates are broken down into sugar also known as glucose. These sugars
are absorbed through the intestinal tract into the bloodstream where it is
circulated through out the body to feed cells.

Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas. The pancreas is a long skinny
organ that sits behind the stomach adding enzymes into the digested food.
Insulin helps deliver nutrients and sugar from the bloodstream into cells
where it is needed. The sugar supplies energy to various organs such as the
heart and lungs; for example the heart beats and lungs breathe which keep us
alive as a result of sugar's energy supply. (2,3)

There are two classes of diabetes type I and type II. Type I diabetes is
sometimes called insulin dependent, juvenile or child onset diabetes. This
type usually starts at a very early age and the pancreas stops producing
insulin. When the body does not make insulin, the sugar stays in the
bloodstream instead of going into the cells where it's needed. This can be
fatal, so a person with type I diabetes needs a shot of insulin every day
for his/her body to function properly (to stay alive).

Type II diabetes usually starts in adults and is the most common kind of
diabetes in America. Most people who have diabetes have type II, that's
about 90% -95% of all diabetics in America. In this type of diabetes, the
pancreas is producing enough insulin but the body doesn't use the insulin
effectively.
This is called insulin resistance, cells in the body do not respond to the
insulin and so the pancreas produces more and more insulin to over
compensate this resistance. When blood sugar starts to raise in the
bloodstream in this manner, the medical doctor (MD) will diagnose type II
diabetes. Most type II diabetics need a prescription drug to lower the blood
sugar because a diet change isn't enough to control their blood sugar
problem. (4)

In both cases, the blood sugar is too high in the bloodstream and will cause
several problems. The first problem is cells cannot absorb sugar for energy;
they starve and start to die.
Secondly an excess amount of sugar in the blood leads to cardiovascular
disease, hardening of the arteries, nerve and eye damage, and kidney damage.

Scientists are not exactly sure what causes type I diabetes, but they do
know it has something to do with the immune system.
A healthy immune system protects us from the common cold and cancer cells
(cells in the body that go bad). The immune system can becomes confused and
starts attacking good cells, in some cases, the healthy cells in the
pancreas that produce insulin, which causes diabetes. (4)

Type II diabetes has been linked to individuals who are overweight. These
overweight individuals have high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well
which may also lead to this form of diabetes. Being overweight causes the
body to become insulin resistant and by dropping some excess weight one
could possibly reverse type II diabetes (rare).

If you think you have diabetes, you should look for the following symptoms.
Type I diabetics usually have frequent urination because of the high blood
sugar; the kidneys are trying to balance the body's bloodstream. The kidneys
are forced to eliminate all the unused nutrients and sugar in the blood over
working the kidneys and if left unchecked can lead to kidney damage. If you
experience intense thirst, your body is trying to replace the liquids lost
from frequent urination.
You may experience increased hunger but you will not gain weight when you do
eat more. This is because your body's cells need more nutrients, but since
these cells can not absorb the insulin and nutrients the body starves.

With type II diabetes you might not notice any symptoms. Type II diabetes
usually happens very gradually and the person doesn't know about it till
diabetic complications occur, then it's too late. (3,4)

All diabetic complications are caused from high blood sugar.
The longer the blood sugar goes unchecked the greater your chances of having
complications. High blood sugar causes cardiovascular disease. The blood
vessels begin to thicken from excess fat in the bloodstream because high
blood sugar elevates the fat circulating in the blood. When the vessels
thicken circulation becomes poor and with poor circulation your ability to
heal is impaired. Heart attack, heart pain, and stroke are common in
diabetics because of poor circulation and blocked arteries form all the fat
buildup in the blood vessels.

Nerve damage is another complication of diabetes. Diabetics may notice
numbness in their arms and legs because of nerve damage caused from high
blood sugar. These nerves can not send signals to the brain relaying pain
and touching sensations. Most diabetics will notice numbness in the feet and
lower legs before other parts of the body are effected. (3,4)

The next complication is eye damage. A more sever complication because going
blind is not pleasant for anyone. The eye has very small delicate vessels in
the retina, these vessels help you see when light shines upon them in the
eye. When blood vessels are weakened, they can hemorrhage and leak fluid
into the eye. This causes swelling and blurs the vision. There is a clear
gel in the eye keeping it solid and round, if blood leaks into this gel,
your vision can become blurred or completely impaired. As the eye continues
to get damaged, the eye will attempt to repair itself by growing new
vessels. These new vessels are fragile and can burst. Scar tissue can form
and cause the retina to pull away from the eye, worst case causing
blindness. (3,4)

Blood vessels network throughout the entire body. Your kidneys are made up
of vessels and can become damaged as well. If the vessels in the kidneys
become impaired, waste cannot be eliminated from the body and a form of
treatment called dialysis might be required. If blood sugar is not kept
under control, damage to the kidneys will continue to the point where a
transplant might be needed or daily dialysis is required to remove waste
from the bloodstream. The good news is practically all of the complications
that occur with diabetes can be prevented when the right care is taken.

With proper diet and nutrition one can successfully prevent diabetic
complications. Along with diet and nutrition, vitamins, minerals and herbs
can also help lower blood sugar and reduce the complications that may occur.
The best kind of supplement is one that combines vitamins and herbs together
so that they work together synergistically to effectively lower blood sugar.
You might be wondering what vitamins, minerals and herbs are good for blood
sugar, your in luck here is a list:

Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin B-6, Folic Acid, Vitamin B-12, Biotin,
Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Manganese, Chromium, Gymnema Sylvestre,
Bitter melon, Fenugreek seed extract, Bilberry berry extract, Bioflavonoids,
and Vanadyl Sulfate.
Make sure most of these ingredients are in the formula you buy.
The frequency at which you take these supplements should be listed on the
bottle you buy as well. As a rule of thumb they should be taken at least
twice a day. Do not stop taking your normal multiple vitamin supplement;
diabetic formulas are a complement to what you currently take not a
replacement.

Vitamin C (ascorbic Acid) - keeps diabetics blood vessels and kidneys
healthy. Vitamin C works with vitamin E to get sugar out of the blood stream
and into the cells.

Vitamin E (Natural Tocopherols) - helps prevent nerve damage, helps prevent
kidney damage, blindness, and heart attack.
Vitamin E works with the B vitamins to help keep the pancreas healthy.

Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine HCL) - works with folic acid to help prevent nerve
damage and heart attack.

Folic Acid - works with B-12 to help prevent stroke and the loss of limbs
due to diabetic complications.

Vitamin B-12 (cyanocobalamin) - works with B-6 and folic acid to help
relieve neuropathic pain.

Biotin - helps insulin work better and helps keep the pancreas working well
to lower blood sugar.

Magnesium (Krebs Cycle Chelate) - helps insulin work more effectively and
relieves neuropathic pain.

Zinc (picolinate, chelate) - helps insulin work better and helps shuttle
blood sugar into cells.

Selenium (aspartate) - helps prevent nerve damage and protects blood vessels
against elevated blood sugar. Selenium mimics insulin helping blood sugar
into the cells.

Copper (picolinate) - helps protect the cells that produce insulin in the
pancreas. Also, copper helps prevent diabetes-related damage to blood
vessels and nerves, and lowers blood sugar levels.

Manganese - helps prevent damage to nerves and blood vessels.

Chromium (picolinate) - works with biotin to help bring down blood sugar and
keeps the pancreas working well.

Gymnema Sylvestre leaf extract - helps balance blood sugar and may protect
us from gaining weight.

Bitter melon whole fruit extract - helps pathways in the liver work more
efficiently; lowers blood sugar levels.

Fenugreek seed extract - helps our kidneys and liver metabolize blood sugar
more efficiently.

Bilberry berry extract - helps reduce the severity of diabetic cataracts.

Mixed bioflavonoids - helps protect vitamin C and E from becoming damaged.
Helps clear and sharpen vision in diabetics.

Vanadyl sulfate - helps muscle and liver cells use insulin more effectively.

These supplements will not lower your blood sugar too much, but help bring
them down to a more normal level. Diabetes is a disease that needs to be
monitored daily several times throughout the day. When you start taking a
diabetic supplement to help equalize your blood sugar, monitor your sugar
levels more often at first so you can get a feel for where you sugar levels
come down to before taking more insulin. A normal range of blood sugar for
diabetics before a meal is 70 - 150 (1,2,5) and ideally 70 - 120.

The diabetic formula you may take for lowering blood sugar is by no means a
license to eat any way you want. You still need to eat healthy and see your
health practitioner on a regular basis. Diabetes might make you feel
overwhelmed, especially if you have recently been diagnosed with it. With
proper exercise, diet, and vitamin supplements you can be well on your way
to a lower more manageable blood sugar level, and live a longer healthier
life.

References:
1. American Diabetes Association. In the news. Available at:
www.ada.yellowbrix.com/pages/ada. Accessed on December 10, 2001.
2. Guven S, Kuenzi J. Diabetes mellitus. In: Porth CM.
Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health States. 5th ed.
Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott; 1998: 810-830.
3. Guyton AC, Hall JE. Diabetes mellitus. In: Textbook of Medical
Physiology. 10th Ed. Philadelphia, Pa: W.B. Saunders
Company;2000: .
4. Grodner M, Anderson SL, DeYoung S. Diabetes mellitus. In:
Foundations and Clinical Applications of Nutrition: A Nursing Approach. St.
Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2000:540-548.
5. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Do
your level best. Available at:
www.niddk.nih.gov/health/diabetes/dylb/chap1.htm#e. Accessed December 31,
2001.

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