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7 Supplements that Lower Blood Sugar Quickly and Safely (eat BEFORE meals) Chromium is dupplements essential fontrol that plays a role Blood sugar control supplements how insulin helps the body Water weight reduction supplements blood sugar levels. Insulin is a hormone supplememts body uses to Blood sugar control supplements sugar, starches, and other food into the energy you need for daily activities. Some evidence suggests that chromium supplements may help people with diabetes lower blood sugar levels. People with diabetes either do not make enough insulin, or cannot properly use the insulin that their bodies make. As a result, glucose or sugar builds up in the bloodstream.

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That's one of the reasons it is so important to talk to a health professional. All that said, here are five supplements you may want to reconsider if you have diabetes, as they may interfere with certain medications, disrupt blood sugar levels or cause unwanted side effects.

Chromium is a mineral that is found in a number of foods, such as meat, vegetables, grains, fruits and nuts. A deficiency in chromium may cause high blood sugar; however, deficiency is very rare.

If you have diabetes and take insulin or other oral medications aimed to reduce blood sugar, taking chromium may increase the risk of hypoglycemia low blood sugar. The American Diabetes Association cautions anyone with kidney disease against taking chromium because supplementation can worsen kidney disease.

Chromium supplementation may also interfere with levothyroxine a medication commonly used to treat hypothyroidism.

Bitter melon is an herbal supplement that has been studied for its use in reducing blood sugars in people with diabetes. Its components—charantin, vicine and polypeptide-p—are thought to have a similar structure to insulin the hormone involved in blood sugar control.

In a systematic review and meta-analysis in Nature , researchers found that the data on bitter melon supplementation continues to remain inconsistent.

Studies that have been done are short, and the doses of bitter melon used vary. More research is needed to determine long-term effects and safety. In addition, if you are prone to low blood sugar, bitter melon may increase your risk of low blood sugar and may not be appropriate for you.

Drinking green tea has been shown to provide benefits for people with diabetes. For example, in a meta-analysis of 17 clinical trials published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , researchers found that drinking green tea had favorable effects, such as decreased fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1C three-month average of blood sugar.

However, there is little research on the effectiveness of a green tea supplement outside of studies conducted on animals, and most studies have been very short in duration. Therefore, additional supplementation beyond drinking green tea is probably not necessary.

More research is needed on the use of St. John's wort and diabetes, due its potential effects on diabetes medications, insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion. One small study in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology , which evaluated the use of St.

John's wort and metformin in 20 healthy male subjects, found that taking it in conjunction with metformin can increase insulin secretion and lower blood sugar after a glucose tolerance test.

However, another very small study, including 10 healthy male subjects, found that there were no changes in insulin sensitivity when taking St.

John's wort alone. Instead, researchers noted less insulin secretion, which can increase blood sugar levels. These very small studies had conflicting results and did not include diverse populations or people with diabetes or have a long enough duration to examine the long-term effects.

Therefore, more studies are needed to explore the drug-herb interactions, as well as insulin secretion effects of St. John's wort. In addition, if you have diabetes and heart disease and are taking blood thinners, the ADA recommends avoiding St. John's wort, as it can increase bleeding.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that can help combat oxidative stress, a precursor and contributor to type 2 diabetes. But, vitamin E can interact with blood thinners and increase the risk for bleeding by blocking the clotting effects of vitamin K.

Therefore, unsupervised supplementation is not recommended if you have diabetes and are taking blood thinners. Before spending lots of money on supplements that may not work or can cause harm, focus on making simple yet sustainable dietary changes.

Whole foods contain a variety of macronutrients, vitamins and minerals. Aim to increase your intake of plants—fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds—that are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and healthy fats.

Fiber is the indigestible part of carbohydrate that can help to reduce blood sugar spikes because it is metabolized slowly.

One simple way to eat more fiber is to ingest one fruit or vegetable at each meal, make half of your grains whole grains, and add one serving of unsalted nuts each day. Many supplements — including cinnamon, ginseng, other herbs, vitamin D, magnesium, probiotics, and plant compounds like berberine — may help lower blood sugar.

Remember that you may experience different results than what studies have found based on factors such as duration, supplement quality, and your individual diabetes status.

Try only one new supplement at a time and check your blood sugar regularly to follow any changes over several months. Doing so will help you and your doctor determine the impact.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

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American Ginseng. Explore our top resources. Aloe Vera. Discover more about Type 2 Diabetes. This form of diabetes is caused when your body either resists insulin or does not produce enough. The result is high blood sugar levels, which can damage your organs and cause other complications.

There is no cure. However, many people are able to manage their blood glucose levels with diet, exercise, and medication. Some of these medications include:. A nutritious, balanced diet, physical activity, and maintaining a moderate weight are the first, and sometimes, the most important parts of diabetes treatment.

But when those are not enough to maintain your blood sugar levels, a doctor can decide which medications will work best for you. Along with these treatments, people with diabetes have tried numerous herbs and supplements to improve their diabetes.

Some of these alternative treatments are said to help:. Some supplements have shown promise in animal studies. However, more and more people are turning to alternative medicine and supplements.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health , few supplements have enough evidence to support use for preventing or treating diabetes. Supplements should not be used to replace standard diabetes treatment. Doing so can put your health at risk.

Some of these products can interfere with other treatments and medications. The following supplements have shown promise in improving blood sugar management and other diabetes-related complications.

Chinese medicine has been using cinnamon for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. It has been the subject of numerous studies to determine its effect on blood glucose levels.

A research review suggests that cinnamon helps lower fasting blood glucose levels. More studies are being done, but cinnamon is showing promise for helping treat diabetes.

Chromium is an essential trace element. However, research on the use of chromium for diabetes treatment is limited. A review of literature involving 28 trials suggests that chromium supplements may help reduce fasting glucose levels in those living with type 2 diabetes.

Vitamin B1 is also known as thiamine. Many people with diabetes are thiamine deficient. This may contribute to some diabetes complications. Increasing evidence also links low thiamine to heart disease and blood vessel damage. Thiamine is water-soluble. However, benfotiamine, a supplemental form of thiamine, is lipid-soluble.

It more easily penetrates cell membranes. Some research suggests that benfotiamine can prevent diabetic complications. However, other studies have not shown any positive effects. Alpha-lipoic acid ALA is a potent antioxidant. Research suggests it may:.

However, more research is needed. Furthermore, ALA needs to be taken with caution, as it has the potential to lower blood sugar levels to dangerous levels. Bitter melon is used to treat diabetes-related conditions in countries like Asia, South America, and others.

However, human data has been limited until recently.

Certain supplements, including cinnamon Sustainable living tips Blood sugar control supplements vera, Blood sugar control supplements help lower blood Bloox. Some supplements may Blood a beneficial suppplements on blood glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes. However, research into supplement efficacy in managing the condition is often mixed. Cinnamon supplements are either made from whole cinnamon powder or an extract. Many studies suggest it helps lower blood sugar and improves diabetes control.