(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Kos Diabetes Group: Supplements [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-02-24 Medicine vs Supplements Prescription medications are medicines or drugs that require a prescription from a physician or doctor before it can be dispensed. Prescription medications are intended to target a particular body part that is in pain or a particular illness. The goal of prescription medication is to provide a cure if not to maintain and improve the current condition of the body. Prescription medications are FDA-approved. These medicines or drugs passed the standards of safety and effectivity set by the Food and Drug Authority. The U.S. FDA maintains a comprehensive evaluation process on medications. Medications are subject to premarket regulation. Every medicine goes through a rigorous safety and efficacy test before making them available for public consumption. Every aspect of the medicine is carefully assessed. FDA made sure that these medications are in good manufacturing condition. They also go through extensive clinical design trials and packaging tests. Supplements are products taken orally that may contain ingredients like vitamins, minerals, botanicals, herbs and amino acids. In comparison to prescription medication, supplements are readily available over the counter and can be purchased without a prescription. Supplements are not considered medicines. They do not give a cure to any illness or disease. They should just be taken to supplement or reinforce the need for nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA. Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), the FDA treats supplements like food. Some supplement manufacturing companies do not go through FDA inspections. The general rule for supplements is they’re considered safe until they’re proven unsafe. They are sold to the public without evaluation. In most cases, they are only tested after they have become harmful to consumers. Also, because they are not regulated, you may not be getting what you think The FDA does not require a supplement to contain what it says on the label. So supplement companies can put more, less or none of the ingredient that is listed. Some supplements may contain ingredients not listed on the label and these ingredients can be unsafe. Prescription medications may be covered by your insurance. Most health plans cover at least a portion of the cost of medications. Supplements, on the other hand, are not covered by health plans. You must pay the full cost of every supplement you buy on the market. Common supplements used by diabetics Cinnamon Chinese medicine has been using cinnamon for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. It has been the subject of numerous studies to determine its effect on blood glucose levels. Research suggests that cinnamon can help lower fasting blood glucose levels. More studies are being done, but cinnamon is showing promise for helping treat diabetes. However, cinnamon should not be used in place of conventional medical care or to delay seeking care if you have health problems. Chromium Chromium is an essential trace element. It’s used in the metabolism of carbohydrates. However, research on the use of chromium for diabetes treatment is limited. A 2020 review of literature involving 28 trials suggests that chromium supplements may help reduce fasting glucose levels in those living with Type 2 diabetes. Vitamin B1 Vitamin B1 is also known as thiamine. Many people with diabetes are thiamine deficient. This may contribute to some diabetes complications. Increasing evidence also links low thiamine to heart disease and blood vessel damage. Thiamine is water-soluble. However, benfotiamine, a supplemental form of thiamine, is lipid-soluble and more easily penetrates cell membranes. Alpha-lipoic acid Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a potent antioxidant. ALA needs to be taken with caution, as it has the potential to lower blood sugar to dangerously low levels. Resveratrol Resveratrol is a chemical found in wine and grapes. In animal models, it helps prevent high blood sugar. Animal studies have also shown that it can reduce oxidative stress, but human data is limited. It’s too soon to know if taking a resveratrol supplement helps with diabetes. Magnesium Magnesium is an essential nutrient found in many foods. Research suggests that supplemental magnesium may improve glucose levels in those living with diabetes. It may also improve insulin sensitivity in those at risk. It’s important to talk with a healthcare professional before taking magnesium supplements. Too much can be dangerous and lead to side effects like nausea and diarrhea. Berberine Berberine is a compound found in many plants, Berberine is touted as a way to help lower glucose levels in people with diabetes. Studies show that it can help your body respond better to insulin and prevents your liver from creating more glucose. As a result, people with diabetes may find berberine helps lower their blood sugar levels. Berberine supplements may be helpful and safe for many people, but it can have unwanted side effects. The potential side effects of berberine include: Digestive complications. One study done with berberine found that it can lead to digestion problems such as constipation, diarrhea, and flatulence in some people. Low blood pressure. Berberine’s blood pressure lowering effects are helpful if you have high blood pressure but for some people, this effect could cause blood pressure to drop too low, which can be dangerous. Risk of bleeding. Berberine might slow blood clotting and increase the risk of bleeding. Taking it with other supplements with similar effects such as garlic, ginger, ginkgo, nattokinase, or Panax ginseng might increase the risk of bleeding in some people. Tumeric Because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, tumeric (and the related curcumin which is what makes tumeric yellow) may help with blood sugar management for Type 2 diabetics but it may interact with other medications, such as antidepressants, antibiotics, and chemotherapy treatments and could cause dangerous lows. Be sure to talk with your health care provider before taking turmeric or curcumin supplements. If you and your doctor decide that you may benefit from a supplement, watch for these phrases and claims in ads for supplements. "Proprietary blends," "proprietary formulas," and "complexes" may be named to sound like one of the primary ingredients you want but may contain little of that ingredient. Proprietary blends and formulas, as well as complexes, are often developed around an expensive ingredient because this allows a company to use less of that ingredient, creating a formula in which the expensive ingredient is just a small part of the formula. If a supplement claims to have been tested in an "FDA Approved" laboratory, don't believe it: The FDA does not approve laboratories. There is no such thing as "pharmaceutical grade" for most supplement ingredients. There is no reason to pay more if you see this term. Some of the other claims that you see on supplements are just meaningless. For example, many supplements claim to "Contain clinically tested ingredients." Just because an ingredient has been clinically "tested" does not mean it has been clinically "proven" to work. Even if an ingredient has been proven to work, the product may not contain the right amount of ingredient or suggest the correct dosing. Furthermore, a supplement may contain a combination of ingredients that have never been tested together, so it is not known if the combination will work even if there is good evidence for one or more of its components. Supplements are not legally considered drugs and cannot claim to treat, cure, or diagnose a disease. So be very wary of products that make such claims. Supplements can also make vague claims as to how they act to maintain the structure or function of the human body with a disclaimer that the FDA has not evaluated the claim. In specific circumstances where there is significant scientific agreement, claims can be made regarding the ability of a food or supplement to reduce the risk of a disease. These authorized health claims are currently limited among supplements to calcium and vitamin D for osteoporosis, folate for neural tube defects, stanols/sterols for heart disease, and soluble fiber (including that from psyllium husk) for heart disease. Supplement labels are not required to disclose when the amount of an ingredient may pose a risk of harm, and most won't disclose this voluntarily. Be wary when a vitamin or mineral is listed at more than 100% of the Daily Value (DV), as this is more than you normally need from your entire diet, and it may be too much. Upper limits, technically known as Tolerable Upper Intake Levels or ULs, exist for most vitamins and minerals but are not shown on labels. Before taking a vitamin or mineral supplement, be sure that you're not exceeding a UL unless you are treating a deficiency or taking the supplement for some other conditions for which it is medically necessary. You can look up nutritional requirements and limits by age, gender, and life stage. x YouTube Video Even companies that try to do the right thing can make mistakes and not know it. That's why it is important to make sure that a product has been properly tested. It's best if this testing is done by an independent, reputable third party like ConsumerLab.com, USP or NSF. Don't rely on products that simply claim to be "Quality Tested" or even "Third-Party Tested" if the third party is not identified. Look for this seal or the USP seal on any supplements you take In 2013, a physician at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia asked supplement manufacturers to submit certificates of analysis from third party labs. Ninety percent of the companies never responded. Of the 10% who did, their certificate of analysis would often show that what was on the label wasn’t even close to what was in the bottle. Clear it first More and more people are turning to alternative medicine and supplements. Supplements should not be used to replace standard diabetes treatment. Doing so can put your health at risk. It’s important to talk with a healthcare professional before using any supplements. Some of these products can interfere with other treatments and medications. Just because a product is “natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe for you to use. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/24/2153929/-Kos-Diabetes-Group-Supplements Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/