Pantothenic acid
Vitamin B5: Helps to metabolize energy; normalizes blood sugar levels , and helps the body to synthesize antibodies, some hormones, cholesterol, and hemoglobin (in the blood)
Riboflavin
Vitamin B2: Necessary to metabolize energy and helps the body’s adrenal function
Thiamine (thiamin)
Vitamin B1: Necessary to metabolize energy; needed for proper nerve function, normal digestion, and appetite
Vitamin B6
Pyridoxine, pyridoxamine, pyridoxal: Helps to metabolize proteins and carbohydrates (for energy) in the body; good for proper nerve function and helps synthesize red blood cells
Vitamin B12
Cyanocobalamin: Necessary to make DNA, RNA, red blood cells, and myelin (for the body’s nerve fibers); may help prevent heart disease in some people
Vitamin C
Ascorbic acid: Helps to build blood vessel walls and promote wound healing; necessary for iron absorption; said to help prevent atherosclerosis; considered to be an antioxidant
What are some health problems caused by vitamin deficiencies, especially for people with type 2 diabetes?
For people with diabetes (especially type 2), certain vitamin deficiencies can cause additional health problems. The following lists a few of the problems with vitamin deficiency:
Vitamin D , According to some studies, people with the lowest levels of vitamin D in their blood seem more likely to have insulin resistance. In some people, adding vitamin D to their diet, or even as supplements (taken under a doctor’s care, of course), may help reverse insulin resistance. (But there is still a major quandary about vitamin D and diabetes: No one knows whether vitamin D causes lower levels of glucose in the blood or having diabetes lowers vitamin D.) This deficiency also causes muscle weakness and an increase in infections, something that people with diabetes have to watch carefully since higher blood glucose levels can compromise their immune system.
Vitamin E , One study indicated a deficiency in vitamin E, an antioxidant, is often seen in people with type 2 diabetes. It also found that people with diabetes had a lower amount of antioxidants in their systems.
Vitamin A , A study conducted in 2015 indicated that a deficiency in vitamin A, which boosts beta-cell activity, may play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes.
What oral medication for type 2 diabetes increases the risk for vitamin B2 deficiency?
According to several studies, the commonly prescribed oral medication for type 2 diabetes called metformin is thought to increase the risk for vitamin B2 deficiency, but the reason is still unknown. (There are several symptoms, including impaired memory, fatigue, and nerve problems in the hands and feet.) One study found that 10 to 30 percent of the participants who took the drug on a regular basis had problems with vitamin B2 absorption.
Another study indicated that the problems with B2 levels increased for those who took a higher dose of the drug and who were on metformin for a long time.
Thus, most researchers suggest that people who take metformin have their vitamin B2 levels checked periodically.
What is vitamin K?
N itamin K, discovered in the 1930s, is a fat-soluble vitamin linked to heart, bone, and brain health.
It is also thought that vitamin K has a relationship with calcium and vitamin D, all of which are thought to be necessary for maintaining healthy bones.
Good food sources are spinach, salad greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage, along with some vegetable oils, including olive and canola.
As supplements, vitamin K, as K1, can be from green plants (called phylioquinone).
K2 is a form that is more readily absorbed and lasts longer in the body than K1.
It is synthesized from bacteria (for supplements) and is found in some types of cheese.
Most important, it is also synthesized in the digestive tract, which is why most people do not have to eat more foods rich in vitamin K or take supplements to get enough of the vitamin.
It is, indeed, possible to take too many vitamins, especially when it comes to fat-soluble ones, which can accumulate in the body over time.
Does vitamin K affect glucose levels in the body?
Although more studies need to be conducted, it is thought that vitamin K may help eliminate inflammation in the body. It may also help to improve insulin sensitivity and thus help to balance blood glucose levels.
Is it possible to take too many vitamins?
Yes, it is very possible to take excessive amounts of vitamins; the practice may cause health complications as serious as vitamin deficiencies.
The clinical term for excessive intake of vitamins is hypervitaminosis.
It occurs when the dietary intake of a vitamin exceeds the body’s ability to store, use, or excrete the vitamin.
Hypervitaminosis is most common among the fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) because the excessive quantities of the vitamins are usually stored in fat (lipid) tissues.
In comparison, excessive amounts of water-soluble vitamins do not accumulate in the body since they are most often excreted in urine.
Are vitamin supplements necessary for a person with diabetes?
Vitamin supplements may be useful for individuals who do not receive all of the nutrients they need from their diet.
These individuals either cannot or do not eat enough or do not eat enough of a variety of healthful foods; thus, they need extra vitamins and often minerals (see below).
But for most people who eat a balanced, healthful diet, vitamin and mineral supplements are not necessary.
If a person has, or does not have, diabetes, the best way to determine whether supplements are needed is to ask a health care provider or, in the case of a person with diabetes, a diabetes educator.
What unusual supplement has been suggested to control blood glucose?
The unusual supplement that has been suggested to control blood glucose levels is made from the native northern African plant aloe vera.
Researchers gathered several clinical trials on this succulent plant and found that, taken as an oral supplement, it may reduce fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels.
But as with all unregulated supplements, the use of any supplement (or medicine, for that matter) that has not gone through rigorous clinical trials is highly debated.
This is because there is no government regulation controlling such items.
Even the researchers suggested that many more studies should be conducted to understand just how aloe vera affects the overall control of blood glucose, and even how it compares with treatments already available to people who have diabetes.
DIABETES AND MINERALS
What are macrominerals and microminerals?
The body contains or uses three types of minerals: macrominerals, microminerals, and electrolytes. The following lists the characteristics of each:
Macrominerals , Three to five percent of the average human body is composed of minerals. The macrominerals make up the majority, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Most of the macrominerals are stored in the bones, but they also circulate in the blood. And as with vitamins, the best sources of macrominerals for the human body are natural or, in other words, ingested foods and not supplements, if possible.
Microminerals , Also called trace minerals, microminerals are found in lesser quantities in the human body, but all are necessary for health in varying quantities.
Electrolytes , The minerals dissolved in the body’s fluids are called electrolytes, all of which create electrically charged ions. The most important ones in terms of eating and health include sodium, potassium, and phosphate.
What are the most necessary minerals for our health?
The body needs a good amount of minerals, a combination of macrominerals, trace minerals, and electrolytes. The following lists these major minerals (not all are listed) and their role in human health (those associated with glucose and diabetes are italicized):
Essential Minerals
Mineral
Essential for Health
Macrominerals
Calcium
Best for building bones and teeth and vital to muscle and nerve function; helps in blood clotting; helps to maintain stable blood pressure; helps the body’s cells use insulin
Magnesium
Helps to stimulate bone growth; helps with metabolism and muscle function
Phosphorus
Found in some body enzymes; helps keep bones and teeth strong; necessary for metabolism
Trace Minerals (Microminerals)
Chromium
Helps insulin to metabolize glucose in the body
Copper
Needed for iron absorption in the body; helps with connective tissues, nerve fibers, and red blood cells, along with being a component of several of the body’s enzymes
Fluoride
Helps the body maintain strong bones and teeth
Iodine
Helps the body make thyroid hormones
Iron
Necessary to produce hemoglobin, by which the body transports oxygen
Manganese
Necessary for metabolism since it is a component of many body enzymes; helps in the formation of bones and tendons
Molybdenum
Necessary for the storage of iron in the body; necessary for metabolism since it is a component of many body enzymes
Selenium
Works with vitamin E to protect cell membranes from oxidation
Zinc
Helps certain enzymes in metabolism; necessary for growth and reproduction, along with supporting the body’s immune system
Electrolytes
Chloride
Helps to keep our body’s chemistry stable; used to make our digestive juices; seawater has almost the same concentration of chloride ion as human body fluids
Potassium
Necessary to maintain our body’s fluid balance; helps our metabolism and muscle function
Sodium
Along with potassium, helps to maintain the body’s fluid balance; also helps with muscle function
Bicarbonate
Listed in some research as an electrolyte; acts as a buffer to maintain the body’s normal levels of acidity in the blood and other fluids
Is there a connection between type 2 diabetes and the mineral magnesium?
Y es, in a study conducted in 2013, researchers found that there may be a connection between the amount of magnesium ingested and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
About half of all Americans get enough magnesium, the mineral that helps bone growth and muscles.
In the study of 2,500 adults without diabetes, the researchers found that the highest magnesium intake was associated with a 37 percent lower risk of developing prediabetes.
Those with prediabetes and a higher magnesium intake showed a 32 percent lower risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
But there is a caution: Diabetics with kidney disease (or anyone with kidney disease) should check with his or her doctor before increasing the intake of magnesium, whether by supplements or with foods.
Why do we need trace minerals for our health?
The trace minerals, chromium, copper, fluoride, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc, all have their places in terms of a person’s health (see above for more information).
For example, chromium acts like a key to unlock insulin, and without it, insulin would have a difficult time controlling blood sugar.
It also helps to build proteins.
Copper is needed to make red blood cells, skin pigment, connective tissues, and nerve fibers.
It also helps the body to absorb iron.
And iron is necessary for the pigment (color) in our blood, specifically the red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body.
What are symptoms of deficiencies of certain minerals?
There are several symptoms of macromineral, trace mineral, and electrolyte deficiencies. The following lists minerals (not all are listed) and symptoms if there is a major deficiency (the minerals associated with glucose and diabetes are italicized):
Mineral Deficiency Symptoms
Mineral
Result of Deficiency
Macrominerals
Calcium
In children, rickets; in at-risk adults, it can lead to osteoporosis (brittle, porous bones); may also indicate a lack of vitamin D, which helps the body to absorb calcium