Vitamin & Mineral Supplements and the Diabetic, Part 2
In our previous post, dealing with vitamin and mineral supplements, [find it here] we finished by saying:
Sometimes it’s information overload
The extensive sources of information available can provide conflicting opinions and advice. That is the case in the use of vitamins and mineral supplements – and who should be believed when it’s time to make a decision? If we say “yes” to this or that product, how can we really know whether it is effective – or even safe?
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The following article sets out some differing viewpoints espoused by different branches of the health care professions on the use of vitamin and mineral supplements and whether they should be included in our diet plans.
Frequently mentioned supplement substances, in addition to several vitamins, are chromium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, vanadium, selenium, copper, alpha-lipoic acid, Co Q10, gymnema sylvestra, cinnamon, bitter lemon, and many others, including herbs and plant species.
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Diabetes has been recognized and diagnosed since ancient times, mention of the condition exists on an Egyptian papyrus from the time of the pharaohs, long before the Christian era. In some parts of the world, natural remedies from “traditional” medicine to treat diabetes are still in use today after thousands of years. But a true cure remains elusive at present. Many diabetics struggle to achieve normal or near normal blood sugar levels.
This article deals with Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a branch of medical treatment that recommends the inclusion of vitamins, minerals and other supplements into a regular daily diet in order to maintain good health. Some supplements are considered to be important for general health and nutrition while others are of value in the treatment of, or as a prevention against, a particular disease or condition, such as diabetes.
Diabetes Associations think them unnecessary
The American Diabetic Association (ADA) and the national diabetic associations of many other countries have stated their beliefs that a “proper” diet, structured in accordance with appropriate nutritional principals, will provide all the vitamins and minerals necessary for good health and they deny the need for supplementation.
However, it does seem that in recent years there is a growing recognition, acceptance, and appreciation for the role that vitamins may play in treating disease conditions such as diabetes and the possibility of the diabetic to achieve closer to normal blood sugar levels.
The American Diabetic Association, In a publication titled: 101 Tips for Improving Blood Sugar, answered the question “Should I take vitamins and minerals to improve my blood sugar?” by saying that there is not enough scientific evidence to recommend vitamin or mineral supplements to improve blood sugar levels. It also commented that popular interest is aroused when media reports and promotion by commercial health food vendors claim that some supplements have a beneficial effect on blood sugar. But the association maintains that eating foods that contain those vitamins and minerals, foods such as fruits and vegetables, is still the best way to get what the body needs.
Comments to counter that contention suggest that some foods that do have beneficial vitamins, enough to maintain a normal level of health, they may not necessarily have them in sufficient quantities to really provide the curative power to boost them for the diabetes patient to achieve the goal of lower blood sugar levels.
The Complimentary and Alternative Medicine practitioners disagree
There is a difference of opinion among medical practitioners on the merits of prescription drugs versus the inclusion of vitamins, minerals and other supplements in the treatment and control of diabetes.
In cases where the standard initial approach of exercising, losing weight, and following an improved diet is not working and the patient is not successful in bringing blood sugar levels close to normal or within the desired range, many doctors will then prescribe pharmaceutical medications to combat the deteriorating condition.
Other practitioners, given the same situation with their patients, advocate what has come to be known as alternative or complementary medicine and these doctors wholeheartedly embrace the inclusion of a wide range of non-pharmaceutical products, and they do so immediately when a patient is diagnosed as being diabetic, this is in addition to their directions to the patient to follow the appropriate weight-loss diet, and exercise routines. They are reluctant to quickly turn to prescription drugs before measuring the outcome of the alternative and complimentary routines.
In many cases, these medically qualified physicians who incorporate the alternative and complementary methods for treating disease and sickness, including diabetes, speak out loudly against the heavy dependence on pharmaceutical drugs they see occurring in their profession.
Their concerns are that the powerful drugs that are frequently prescribed can cause serious side effects. At the same time, the advocates of alternative treatments do recognize that pharmaceuticals have a positive role to play in medicine in many cases and their use is not to be excluded. But they also contend that for many conditions there are valid, effective, and safer treatments in the use of non-pharmaceutical substances that do not present the problems of dangerous side effects when administered in the prescribed doses and frequencies.
For more information, maybe check out bookstores and public libraries
Several popular books have been published in recent years by physicians who advocate and practice conventional and alternative medicine in which they explain their reasons for recommending the various supplements they claim are effective and safe in the treatment of diabetes. Whatever conclusions a reader may arrive at, the books are usually very informative and provide an interesting and worthwhile read.
Among the many well-known, or most publicized, authors who have written about diabetes, are Dr. Julian Whitaker, M.D., Dr. James W. Anderson, M.D., Dr. Michael Berger, M.S., Dr. Robert Atkins, M.D., and Michael T. Murray, N.D. The titles of some their books are listed at the end of this article.
In many ways these authors present a convincing case that vitamins and mineral supplements are beneficial, do no harm and are relatively inexpensive, considerably less expensive when compared to prescription drugs. But it is a complex medical and scientific matter, making it difficult for the average diabetes sufferer to decide what is truly the right way to proceed.
The question arises about whether to include such items into a personal routine in the efforts to lower blood sugar levels when they have not been suggested by the individual’s doctor who is responsible for treating the disease and who is most likely following conventional procedures much the same as those outlined by the American Diabetes Association. The treating physician may not wish to be drawn into a discussion or offer an opinion on the subject and also may not be sufficiently familiar with the complimentary or alternative medicine options to make a prudent judgment on the matter.
But it must be emphasized that diabetic patients should advise their doctor about any supplements they are taking or contemplating taking in the pursuit of lowering their blood sugar levels or for their general health. The doctor should be fully informed of how their patient is managing their health conditions and especially in the case of adding supplements where current prescription medications may be affected and might have to be adjusted to compensate.
Frequently mentioned supplement substances, in addition to several vitamins, are chromium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, vanadium, selenium, copper, alpha-lipoic acid, Co Q10, gymnema sylvestra, cinnamon, bitter lemon, and many others including herbs and plant species.
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