Supplements are increasingly popular, and Americans spend about $14.8 billion annually on it. It was found that 22% of diabetics use herbal products and 67% uses some type of vitamins or supplement. It is best to remember that long-term safety information is not available for supplements. Most class 1 drug recalls in the United States involve supplements. Class 1 recalls are for products which potentially may result in serious health issues or possibly death. A report on the use of vitamins and supplements showed that more than 6,300 cases of serious side effects were reported between 2007-2012. These reports involved visits to the emergency room, hospitalizations, and 115 deaths. These are some of the supplements where studies have been conducted on:
Berberine
Berberine is extracted from many different plants such as Coptis Chenensis, golden seal, European barberry and etcetera. It has been found to lower glucose, lower lipids (cholesterol), and help with weight loss. Studies show that it is more effective than placebo and as effective as metformin, sulfonylureas or glitazones. Doses studied have been 500mg two or three times daily,
Cinnamon
It is a widely-used supplement for diabetes and high cholesterol. The most common form of cinnamon studies is cassia cinnamon. In theory, it enhances insulin action and decreases postprandial glucose. The most appropriate form for cinnamon to be taken is still controversial, and doses have ranged from 1-6g/day. Overall, cinnamon continues to be widely used and potentially have more advantages than consequences.
Coenzyme Q10
This is one of the most widely used supplement in both diabetics and non-diabetics. Recent studies have shown that CoQ10 does not exhibit serious adverse effects in long-term trials. The most serious drug interaction that may occur is with patients that are taking warfarin as CoQ10 may reduce the International Normalized Ratio (INR). Doses ranged from 100-600mg/day. Although the role of CoQ10 is unknown, it may decrease heart disease risk in diabetics.