Along with diet and exercise, dietary supplements can help manage glucose and insulin levels. “Natural products offer consumers a way to help maintain healthy blood glucose and insulin levels,” said Scott Steil, president of Nutra Bridge. “Combined with lifestyle changes, supplements will lead to improved efficacy that could lead to delaying the progression from metabolic syndrome to prediabetes.”
Brad West, N.D., research advisor for Nordic Naturals, agreed, adding, “Natural remedies provide results by helping to balance organ systems or by up-regulating or re-sensitizing pathways and cells. Natural products should be designed to work with the body to improve function with minimal or no side effects.”
Research does backup the use of supplements such as zinc, manganese, omega-3s and chromium for combating diabetes. And, word is spreading to consumers, as sales related to diabetes are up. “According to SPINS, from 2005 to 2006, ‘product sales (including vitamins, supplements, herbs and medicinal teas) related to the diabetes health concern have increased 13 percent in the natural channel and 45 percent in the conventional channel over the past year, for an average of 30 percent growth across channels,’” West said.
But conventional drug use is also on the rise. “As the prevalence of obesity and related diseases (diabetes) has increased, so have the sales of drugs to treat them,” said Gene Bruno, MS, MHS, consultant for Jarrow Formulas and dean of academics at Huntington College of Health Sciences. He cited research from Renub Research, “The top nine brands of anti-obesity drugs have done sales of more than $100 million from November 2007 to October 2008. Whereas, the top eight diabetes drugs have done more than $5 billion in sales from October 2007 to October 2008.”
Trace minerals such as zinc, manganese and chromium play an important role in the body. “Research has shown chromium supports healthy levels of glycosylated hemoglobin, glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol levels within normal ranges, as well as supporting healthy insulin sensitivity,” Bruno said.
Paul Dijkstra, CEO of InterHealth Nutraceuticals, agreed, adding, “Chromium is important for energy production and plays a role in regulating appetite, reducing sugar cravings and increasing lean body mass. People with blood sugar problems have an increased need for chromium and are likely to have lower than normal chromium levels.”
A systematic review was optimistic about the potential role of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), chromium, folic acid, isoflavones, magnesium, Pycnogenol, selenium, vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.1 The researchers, from Aston University, Birmingham, England, wrote, “Chromium was the most studied supplement, accounting for 16 of the 50 trials. A majority of the trials found a positive effect of chromium on fasting plasma glucose. Isoflavones were found to have a positive effect on insulin resistance and cardiovascular outcome measures, but only when combined with soy proteins.” Similarly, a 2009 study reported, “The deficiencies of essential trace elements, chromium, manganese and zinc in biological samples of diabetic women, may play role in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus and impacts on their neonates.”2