It is not easy living with diabetes. Ask any diabetic; they will tell you how the diabetes has changed their normal life and activities. Most diabetics are curious to find permanent cure; some form of treatment that rids them of diabetes.
Traditional medicines manage to control diabetes to a certain degree, but to date researchers have been unable to find a permanent cure for the two forms of diabetes.
Under these circumstances, many diabetics understandably, explore alternative methods of treating diabetes. Dietary supplements are the most common and easily available option for those with diabetes, but there are a few basic facts that go with them.
Before you jump the gun and start taking random supplements, you must understand that there is really no conclusive scientific evidence that proves dietary supplements could help in anyway. Don’t even try to replace your regular treatment with supplements; it will do more damage than good. The best way is to talk to your doctor about it, so they are in the know and can regulate your medication accordingly.
Alpha Lipoic acid or ALA – is available in tablet form and is considered to improve the body’s ability to use insulin. Here’s the scary part though. ALA has been found to lower blood sugar levels, which could prove deadly if you don’t monitor your sugar level carefully. So, before you go out there and start popping the tablets randomly, better inform your doctor about it. Scientists have done a fair degree of research on ALA but nothing irrefutable has come of it.
Chromium – is another dietary supplement which has shown positive results in certain studies. It is thought to control blood glucose level and in small doses it has no known side effects. Take a bigger dose and you could land yourself in serious trouble. Your blood sugar levels could go dangerously low and you could end up damaging your kidneys.
Omega 3 Acids – found in fish oil and walnuts are another favorite among diabetics. The trouble with Omega 3 Acids is that virtually no positive effects have been seen in those taking Omega 3 Acids as a supplement. You may say that the idea that it might help with diabetes is more of a myth than anything else, until further research can prove otherwise.
Saving the best for last, Polyphenols or Antioxidants found in tea and dark chocolate have no side effects and have proven to be beneficial in laboratory testing. EGCG is the antioxidant that has been isolated as being the source of all the benefits within green tea and certain other foods.
Hopefully, ongoing research will find newer and better dietary supplements for diabetes. For now, If you’re bent on using them, you can do it once your doctor gives you the go ahead.
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