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The world of supplements for type 2 diabetes is vast and varied. The best choice for you depends on which specific aspects of your diabetes you want to address. We’re going to see how well these supplements work for 5 different aspects linked to type 2 diabetes.
- Can they can help control your blood sugar and HbA1c levels?
- Can they help support heart health, reducing risks like cholesterol and blood pressure issues?
- Can they ease diabetic neuropathy, reducing problems like numbness, tingling, and nerve pain?
- Can help with managing weight and dealing with obesity?
- Can help with fatty liver and improve liver function.
Research overview
What I’m doing here is thoroughly searching for research papers that have actually tested supplements on real people. I’m not interested in theories or studies done only on animals or cells. I’m focusing solely on studies that prove these supplements work in humans.
That’s why I’ll be ranking them mainly based on how much solid evidence we have right now for their effectiveness in treating these specific aspects.
Remember, a higher rank doesn’t automatically mean a supplement is super effective; it just means there’s stronger evidence backing up its real-world use. And keep in mind, this list isn’t complete – I’m only including the supplements I think are most helpful.
Now, let’s start by checking out the supplements I believe have the widest range of benefits for diabetes.
Strong benefits
Berberine
Berberine is a compound that comes from different plants and has been used in traditional medicine for a long time.
From clinical research, taking around 500 mg of berberine, 2 to 3 times a day, for about 2 to 4 months can help to control blood sugar levels. This includes things like HbA1c, fasting blood sugar, and the blood sugar levels after eating. Interestingly, it seems to work as well as common medications like metformin or rosiglitazone.
If you combine berberine with lifestyle changes or anti-diabetic drugs, you can get even better results. This combo could further bring down fasting blood sugar and HbA1c, as well as improve fat and lipid levels in the blood.
Berberine might also help reduce weight in some individuals, although the effect may not be very large.
Taking berberine can also potentially improve certain aspects of liver function and reduce liver fat as well as the medication pioglitazone.
Fenugreek
Fenugreek is an aromatic herb that is native to the Mediterranean region. Studies show that taking fenugreek extracts can help lower blood sugar levels and HbA1c.
However, fenugreek extracts were not the only way fenugreek was taken. One study found that taking fenugreek seeds, requiring about 5 grams twice a day in powder form for 2 months, could bring down fasting sugar and HbA1c. It also seems to help with blood pressure, BMI, and waist size.
There’s also a chance it could lower cholesterol and triglycerides, but it’s not clear if it affects good and bad cholesterol consistently.
Soluble fibers
A bunch of soluble fibers have been studied for diabetes, like aloe vera gel, psyllium husk, glucomannan, flaxseed, inulin, and oats. These fibers come from different sources and seem to have potential for managing blood sugar and lowering cholesterol.
But there’s a trick to using them correctly. You need to take them just before or during meals to help control how much you eat and reduce the glycemic index of the meal.
Among these fibers, oat and psyllium seem to have the strongest evidence. Research on whole populations suggests that eating more oats can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. Having oatmeal every day can also contribute to improved blood glucose, insulin, and lipid levels in diabetes patients.
But flaxseed and glucomannan also seem helpful. Soluble fibers might also help with weight loss by making you feel less hungry and eating less overall.
Black seed oil
Black seed comes from the Nigella sativa plant. Studies show that taking around 2 grams of black seed powder daily, or 1 gram of black seed oil daily, can make a difference when combined with anti-diabetic medications.
For example, in one study, people who took 1 gram of black seed powder twice a day for 3 to 12 months while also on diabetes meds saw big drops in HbA1c levels and fasting blood sugar. It also helped lower total cholesterol levels by about 10% to 12% in patients with diabetes.
Using black seed oil might also improve certain markers of liver health and help people with fatty liver. But it seems like doses less than 2 grams per day might not be very effective.
Garlic
Garlic seems to be most beneficial for lessening the severity of fatty liver, a common issue for people with diabetes.
A review of four studies found that taking 800-1600 mg of garlic powder each day could bring down liver enzymes AST and ALT in those suffering from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It also significantly lowered the chances of fatty liver by about 2.75 times compared to those not taking it.
When it comes to blood sugar control, garlic may also be helpful. One study showed that when garlic was taken with metformin, blood sugar levels dropped by 70% more, compared to just metformin alone.
Garlic powder might also help lower blood pressure and support heart health in those with fatty liver, although not all studies support this.
Moderate benefits
Now, let’s check out some supplements that can work well alongside the main ones we discussed earlier. These supplements might also be useful for diabetics depending on the circumstance.
Chromium
Chromium is a trace mineral crucial for metabolism, and is probably best when combined with other treatments.
While the research results are a bit all over the place, some studies suggest that taking chromium supplements, especially more than 200 mcg a day, could bring down HbA1C. This might be especially true if your diabetes isn’t well controlled. But, not all studies agree.
Chromium supplements could also be helpful for cholesterol and blood pressure, but once again, the research doesn’t give us a clear answer.
Way back in 2005, the FDA said that chromium picolinate might help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. But since then, they’ve looked into it more and found that any connection between chromium picolinate and type 2 diabetes is not really based on much scientific proof.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral that plays a crucial role in many of the body’s functions. Clinical studies suggest it could modestly lower fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels.
However, this benefit seems to be more pronounced in countries in the Eastern hemisphere like China.
Zinc may also reduce triglyceride levels, but no significant changes in LDL or HDL cholesterol were observed.
Milk thistle
Milk thistle extract and the silymarin it contains are typically associated with liver support.
Clinical studies indicate that taking milk thistle extracts, standardized to contain silymarin, could potentially lead to slight improvements in liver function.
Research suggests that taking daily milk thistle extracts containing around 210 to 600 mg of silymarin over 3 months can lead to reductions in fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels.
However, most of the studies were done in the Middle East, so the applicability of these findings to other regions, like North America, remains uncertain.
Resveratrol
Resveratrol is an antioxidant compound naturally found in red wine and grapes. Research shows that resveratrol is beneficial for improving glycemic indices in patients with type 2 diabetes.
However, studies don’t quite agree on the best dose needed for these benefits, and suggest that at least 500 mg per day was required. Another meta analysis also found that benefits were only seen in individuals older than 45 years.
Resveratrol also seems to help a little with weight loss. A review of 28 studies found that taking resveratrol could help you shed around 1 extra pound.
Alpha-lipoic acid
Alpha-lipoic acid, a naturally occurring antioxidant, has shown promise in alleviating symptoms of diabetic neuropathy like pain, burning, and numbness in the feet and legs.
Research indicates that oral or intravenous doses of 600-1800 mg daily can lead to improvements within 3-5 weeks.
It might also help with weight loss although the amount lost may not be clinically significant.
What supplements should you take?
So what supplements should you take if you have type 2 diabetes? Well, it really depends on what problems you’re aiming to tackle. Many of these supplements can be handy for managing blood sugar levels. In fact, you might only need 1 or 2 if that’s your main goal. Trying out berberine and a soluble fiber should do the trick.
Remember, these rankings don’t necessarily show how much they can help you. They’re more about showing how much research backs them up. So, taking too many of them at once doesn’t mean it’ll be more effective, and I’d suggest picking 2 or 3 supplements based on what you want to target.
For instance, if you’re looking for better blood sugar control and dealing with fatty liver, combining berberine and garlic extract could be a good move.
Need additional support for your weight loss plan? Adding glucomannan or psyllium husk fiber might be a good choice. Or if diabetic neuropathy is your concern, combining alpha-lipoic acid with berberine could help.
But remember, supplements aren’t the only solution for diabetes and its issues. Diet and exercise are way more powerful in managing diabetes. A low-carb or keto diet can really make a difference in controlling blood sugar.
If your diet’s a mess and you’re not doing much exercise, supplements might not do a lot for you. But if you’re on track with diet and exercise, supplements can give you an extra boost. And hopefully, this review helps you choose supplements for diabetes that have proof they actually work.
Top supplement choices
- Alpha Lipoic Acid – 1 to 3 caps / day
- Berberine (dihydro) – 2 to 4 caps / day
- Berberine (generic) – 2 to 3 caps w/ meals
- Berberine (Thorne) – 1 to 2 caps w/ meals
- Black seed oil (caps) – 1 to 2 caps / day
- Chromium nicotinate (GTF) – 1 to 5 caps / day
- Chromium picolinate – 1 to 5 caps / day
- Fenugreek (caps) – 6 to 10 caps / day
- Fenugreek (powder) – 1 to 2 tsp / day
- Flaxseed (ground) – 1 to 3 tsp w/ meals
- Flaxseed (whole) – 1 to 3 tsp w/ meals
- Garlic – 1 to 2 caps / day
- Garlic (aged) – 4 caps / day
- Garlic (pure allicin) – 1 cap / day
- Ginger – 0.25 to 1 tsp / day
- Glucomannan (caps) – 1 to 3 caps w/ meals
- Glucomannan (PGX caps) – 1 to 3 caps w/ meals
- Glucomannan (PGX powder) – 0.5 to 1 scoop w/ meals
- Glucomannan (powder) – 0.25 to 1 tsp w/ meals
- Inulin – 1 to 3 tsp w/ meals
- Milk Thistle – 3 to 6 caps / day
- Oatmeal – 1 cup / day
- Psyllium husk (caps) – 3 to 12 caps w/ meals
- Psyllium husk (Metamucil) – 1 scoop w/ meals
- Psyllium husk (powder) – 1 to 3 tsp w/ meals
- Resveratrol – 1 to 2 caps / day
- Zinc citrate – 1 cap / day
Learn more about
- Alpha Lipoic Acid for Weight Loss
- Berberine for Weight Loss
- Chromium For Weight Loss
- Glucomannan For Weight Loss
- 6 Weight Loss Tips for Type 2 Diabetes
- Other weight loss supplements
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See also
- The Benefits of InositolInositol, particularly a 40:1 myo- to D-chiro ratio, supports fertility in PCOS, but myo-inositol alone works well for most other uses.
- The Benefits of L-TheanineL-theanine is known for enhancing focus and reducing stress but may not be as effective for anxiety and sleep.
- The Real Benefits of Bee PollenBee pollen is rich in nutrients and a good superfood, but research shows it has little benefits on any actual health conditions.
- The Real Benefits of TurmericTurmeric may help with blood sugar management and fatty liver disease but likely will not cause actual weight loss.
- The Benefits of MoringaMoringa may not have significant effects on diabetes or cholesterol. Its most well-researched benefit is likely supporting lactation.