A new study shows a positive correlation between dietary supplement use and health in diabetics. The study, commissioned by the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance and conducted by The Lewin Group, is based on both a focused review of existing research and an analysis of data from the annual National Health and Nutrition Examination survey.
The study's goals were threefold: to determine whether dietary supplements are associated with better health among the general population, to create a profile of people with diabetes who use supplements, and to determine whether diabetics who use supplements manage their condition differently than diabetics who do not use them.
The supplements that diabetics reported they used most included chromium, zinc, calcium, folate and omega-3 fatty acids. While many of these supplements support general health, others have been linked specifically to diabetes care. For example, studies have shown that chromium picolinate helps insulin function more effectively in the body, which in turn helps regulate blood glucose levels—a critical component of diabetes management. A 2004 study, published in the journal Diabetes Care, showed that diabetics have lower levels of chromium in the body than nondiabetics. Omega-3 fatty acids, alpha-lipoic acids and magnesium have also shown promise in managing glucose levels and alleviating neuropathic symptoms associated with diabetes.
According to the new study, only 34 percent of diabetics currently take supplements. However, of those who use supplements regularly, a higher percentage report to be in good, very good or excellent health (54.1 percent) compared with nonsupplements users (43.2 percent). The study concluded, "Use of dietary supplements is significantly associated with reporting oneself to be in better health than a year ago.
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