Most vitamins are unlikely to have an effect on blood sugar levels. If you take vitamins daily and have diabetes, you may be wondering if vitamins can raise your blood sugar. Vitamin B3, or niacin, taken to lower bad cholesterol, can increase insulin resistance and raise blood sugar levels. Low levels of magnesium in the blood can also cause irregularities in blood sugar.
Magnesium supplements have been shown to lower fasting blood sugar levels. Each increase in the dose of magnesium by 50 mg produces a better result on blood sugar. Magnesium is responsible for the secretion and activity of insulin in body tissues. This is usually determined through a blood test, such as a vitamin panel that identifies deficiencies in any of the 13 essential vitamins that the human body needs.
Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) may help to gradually lower fasting blood sugar and A1C, with greater effects at daily doses of up to 1200 mg. Studies have also found that taking berberine supplements together with diabetes medications can help lower blood sugar more than medications alone (1). In one study, people with type 2 diabetes who took 400 mg of gymnema leaf extract daily for 18 to 20 months experienced a 29% drop in blood sugar (fasting). After two months of taking a daily supplement of 4,500 IU of vitamin D, both fasting blood sugar and A1C improved.
American ginseng, in particular, is an effective regulator of blood sugar in both healthy people and those with type 2 diabetes. Caffeine, taken in liquid form or as a pill found in many energy and weight-loss supplements, can cause blood sugar levels to rise. Capsules or juices made with aloe leaves may help lower fasting blood sugar and A1C in people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Many supplements, such as cinnamon, ginseng, other herbs, vitamin D, magnesium, probiotics and plant compounds such as berberine, can help lower blood sugar.
Chromium may improve the action of insulin in the body and lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes and possibly in people with type 1 diabetes, but it does not cure the disease. If you have just been prescribed a medication known to cause problems with your blood sugar, work with your doctor to find the right dose for you. Knowing which supplements can help lower your blood sugar may give patients a better chance of preventing diabetes. Corticosteroids, or steroids for short, are known to cause high blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
Additional research suggests that this herb may help lower fasting blood sugar and A1C in type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent) and may reduce cravings for sweets by suppressing the sensation of a sweet taste in the mouth (25, 2).
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