6 Supplements that Help Balance Blood Sugar
B
alancing blood sugar is often an essential prerequisite to many other health protocols. Many people mistakenly believe that they do not need to worry about blood sugar balance unless they have insulin resistance, prediabetes, or diabetes. This is incorrect. Insulin surges, from over-carbing, over-eating or over-stressing influence every aspect of our daily lives. A healthy, varied diet is often enough to balance blood sugar, however you may find that you need a little help from time to time and knowing which supplements to choose can make the job a lot easier.
What to consider when choosing a supplement
Before choosing a supplement, here are some considerations…
- Keep it holistic. Supplements are most effective when part of your overall wellness plan. Eating good foods, living healthfully, and working with your doctor, nutritional therapist or other healthcare practitioner are non-negotiables. ,
- Choose the right supplement: To get results, you need to take a supplement that is right for you and your unique body. For example, do you have minor blood sugar swings, or do you have insulin resistance? Using the wrong supplement is not only a waste of time and money, but it could also push you further into imbalance. That’s why you want to involve your doctor or qualified nutritional therapist when selecting supplements.
- Chose the right type of supplement: Supplements come in liquid, capsules, teas, and powders. When choosing a supplement, consider your objective and your lifestyle. For example, if you are always on the go – capsules would be more sustainable than preparing teas. Howewver, if you have gut issues, breaking down the capsules may be more of a problem and easier to absorb in liquid form.
- Know the therapeutic dose: Many people purchase supplements they have read about online or heard about in a magazine but have no idea how to use them. This is one of the primary reasons people don’t get results with the supplements they are using. Seek out expert sources for dosage guidelines.
- Know when to take your supplements: Some supplements are best taken at certain times of the day or with food. Read labels and make sure you understand how your supplements should be taken. Some supplements are best taken together. For example people with low iron benefit from taking vitamin C at the same time.
- Purchase quality supplements: Recent discoveries have shown that many mainstream supplements sold at health food shops and chemists contain little to none of the ingredients claimed by the packaging. When it comes to your health, you want to select the highest quality products possible. In addition, you must look closely at the other ingredients. Many supplements contain soy derivatives, corn, gluten, and/ or dairy in their manufacturing.
The supplements
Gymnema is a well-known herb that is highly effective in lowering blood sugar. It works by blocking the typical paths sugar takes during digestion, thereby delaying its absorption. Additionally, Gymnema lowers the concentration of lipids in the body, leading to weight loss.
Cinnamon has shown to improve insulin sensitivity. It works by slowing down the movement of food from the stomach to the small intestine, thereby slowing down the breakdown of carbohydrates.
- Berberine is a chemical that is extracted from plants. A recent study has shown that berberine improves insulin sensitivity.
- Chromium is a trace mineral element that enhances the effects of insulin. Taking chromium daily has shown to improve blood glucose control. Although chromium is naturally present in some foods such as onions, yeast, tomatoes, and whole grains, most of these foods contain very little of it, hence the need for supplementation.
- Magnesium is an essential mineral and plays a role in more than 300 chemical reactions within the body. People with blood sugar imbalance often have low levels of magnesium.
- Vitamin D deficiency can result in blood sugar level issues. High intake of vitamin D can improve insulin sensitivity. It can also improve fasting blood sugar and A1C. Supplementing with vitamin D3 is beneficial for many health problems.
