Most people know that diabetics have to keep insulin on hand to help keep their blood sugar in check. But insulin isn’t the only resource available for diabetics, nor is it the only tool diabetics should keep around. Whether you have diabetes or are prediabetic, there are certain diabetes supplies you should be aware of and keep on hand.
Prediabetes
Vitamins
Certain supplements have been shown to reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes, and to assist with complications that can arise because of the illness.
Chromium
Chromium is a trace element found in foods like beef, whole wheat flower, certain yeast, fruits like orange and apple, and vegetables like tomato and green beans. A deficiency of that vitamin can lead to high blood sugar levels, so keeping that in check is important.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity. The vitamin is fat-soluble and helps prevent damage to lipids because of free radicals, which happens when diabetes leads to oxidative stress.
Vitamin E supplementation has an important role in delaying the onset of the diabetic complications as well as for slowing down the progression of the complications,” researchers studying the affects of the vitamin on diabetes found. “When highly-reactive species attack the lipids within the membranes or the lipoproteins, they set off the chain reaction of lipid per oxidation. Vitamin E halts this chain reaction, e.g. it acts as a chain breaking inhibitor of lipid per oxidation.
Niacin
Some researchers have found niacin can be helpful for regulating prediabetes. Niacin is a B vitamin that helps turn food into energy. Its’ often used to treat high cholesterol, which diabetics often have – particularly of LDL, the “bad” kind. Some people were fearful of using the vitamin because it can affect blood sugar levels, but scientists have f