Up to 90 percent of diabetes is Type 2, or non-insulin-dependent, diabetes. Maintaining a healthy weight is a critical factor in preventing Type 2 diabetes, as is regular exercise.
Diabetics who use nutritional supplements—about 34 percent—report better health than those who don’t, shows a new study analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Research has produced promising evidence for the following:
* alpha lipoic acid helps prevent Type 1 diabetes, supports the health of people with Type 2, and fights kidney damage and diabetic symptoms. * magnesium is useful in sugar metabolism and for preventing some diabetic complications. * omega-3 fats prevent drug-induced diabetes in animal experiments.
Other supplements often recommended to people with diabetes include calcium, chromium, and folate.
Useful Ayurvedic Herbs
A metabolic disorder involving high blood sugar (or glucose), Type 2 diabetes also responds to Ayurvedic herbs. For example, fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) provides fiber and delays glucose absorption after meals. A compound in bitter melon (Momordica charantia) increases the activity of insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar.
Gymnema (G. sylvestre), aka the “sugar destroyer,” can temporarily suppress a person’s ability to taste sweets. Used in India for the past two millennia to treat Type 2 diabetes, this herb appears to inhibit sugar absorption in the intestines and may even help regenerate the pancreas, the gland that releases insulin.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) was found to be able to lower glucose, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels in people with Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. Researchers find that as little as 1 gram a day lowers glucose and fat levels among people with Type 2 diabetes.