Do You Have Diabetes? How to Choose a Diabetes Nutritional Supplement!

More and more diabetics are taking diabetes nutritional supplements in an effort to control their diabetes and prevent progression of the disease. While not all diabetes nutritional supplements live up to their claims, there are some supplements that seem to have benefit in diabetics. Do you need to take diabetes supplements if you have the disease? That would all depend upon your particular medical history. Before taking any nutritional supplements, it's best to check with your doctor. Here are some nutritional supplements shown to have a positive impact on diabetes control in some studies:

1. Multivitamin

Studies have shown that diabetics who take a multivitamin supplement on a consistent basis have a significantly lower risk of developing infection compared to those who don't.

2. Chromium

Chromium is a mineral that plays a critical role in keeping your blood sugars normal. Supplementation with at least 200 mcg of chromium per day in diabetics has been shown to help lower blood glucose levels as well as improve their lipid profiles by lowering total cholesterol and triglycerides, while increasing HDL cholesterol levels. (the good cholesterol). Chromium supplements even improve the ability to process glucose in patients who are prediabetic.Some diabetics may need higher doses of chromium than the recommended 200 mcg, but it would be best to check with your doctor before exceeding this amount.

3. Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)

ALA supplementation in diabetics has shown it may have the ability to make the muscle tissue more sensitive to glucose so it can better utilize it. It's also a potent antioxidant which may help to prevent some of the free radical damage that occurs in diabetics. Free radical damage is thought to lead to some of the complications seen in diabetes such as diabetic nerve, eye, and kidney disease..

3. Magnesium