Do You Have Prediabetes? Be Cautious with These 5 Supplements

While many people take dietary supplements without professional advice, some of these products can affect blood sugar or the effectiveness of diabetes medications. Five supplements, including niacin, chromium, and vitamin C, are among those consumers should use with caution.

While many people take dietary supplements without professional advice, some of these products can affect blood sugar or the performance of blood sugar-lowering medications. Five supplements, including niacin, chromium, and vitamin C, are on the list that consumers should be cautious about.

According to Ambassador Arjan, quoted by verywellhealth, some dietary supplements may make it difficult to control blood sugar or even cause the results of blood sugar measurement to be misinterpreted. According to a pharmacist, niacin, chromium, tea grass, vitamin C, and vitamin E are among the supplements that people with prediabetes or diabetes should use with caution.

Blood sugar control is important to reduce the risk of diabetes; But taking some supplements may affect blood sugar levels, insulin sensitivity, or the accuracy of glucose measuring devices.

Niacin or vitamin B3 is used in some conditions to help improve blood lipids; including increasing good cholesterol (HDL), decreasing triglycerides and decreasing bad cholesterol (LDL).

However, niacin consumption can impair blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity in some people, especially those with prediabetes, and cause high blood sugar. Some studies have also shown that niacin treatment may increase the risk of diabetes to some extent.

The exact mechanism of this effect is not yet fully understood, but long-term use of niacin may increase insulin resistance in the liver, adipose tissue, and muscles.

Chromium may improve insulin sensitivity in some people; However, taking too many supplements containing this substance can backfire and affect blood sugar control.

Some studies show that consuming high amounts of chromium without medical supervision may increase the risk of hypoglycemia. People who take blood sugar-lowering drugs, such as insulin or metformin, should consult a doctor or pharmacist before using this supplement.

St. John's wort is an herbal supplement commonly used to help treat depression. However, information about its effect on diabetes and blood sugar control is still insufficient.

This plant may affect the metabolism of diabetes drugs, insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion. Its simultaneous use with drugs such as metformin can interfere with the action of the drugs. Also, in some conditions, it may increase the secretion of insulin and cause a further decrease in blood sugar.

People who take medication to control blood sugar should not use this supplement without consulting a doctor or pharmacist.

Vitamin C is essential for the health of the body and the normal functioning of the immune system; But taking high doses of its supplement may interfere with some blood sugar measuring devices.

According to some researches, vitamin C can show a number higher than the actual value in some blood sugar measuring devices. Such an error may cause a person to think their blood sugar is higher than it really is and make an incorrect decision about the amount of medicine if they are taking blood sugar-lowering drugs.

Of course, this interference depends on the type of device and measurement method and does not necessarily occur in all devices. People with diabetes should ask their doctor or pharmacist about taking high doses of vitamin C and its compatibility with the device they are using.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant, but its supplemental effect on blood sugar control in people with prediabetes and diabetes still needs more research.

Some studies have shown that vitamin E supplementation may help control blood sugar and improve insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes. In contrast, some other studies have reported a significant increase in blood sugar after taking this supplement in groups of people with type 2 diabetes in Asia.

Taking high doses of vitamin E may also affect the results of some blood tests. Therefore, people with prediabetes or diabetes should not use high doses of this vitamin without consulting a doctor.

Prediabetes is a condition in which blood sugar is above the normal range, but has not yet reached the threshold for the diagnosis of diabetes. Lifestyle changes can help reduce the risk of developing diabetes.

The most important measures are:

Having a balanced and varied diet

Blood sugar monitoring if recommended by the doctor

Taking prescribed medications as prescribed by the doctor

Supplements are used in many cases to compensate for nutritional deficiencies; However, getting nutrients from a balanced diet is usually the priority. On the other hand, many supplements and multivitamins are not approved for efficacy and safety before release like drugs; Therefore, it is important to choose authentic products and consult with health professionals.

The expansion of new communication tools has caused a phenomenon called "verbal narcissism", which challenges the quality of interpersonal communication by replacing real interactions with individual monologues.

Sugar has long been considered as one of the possible causes of children's hyperactivity; But the available scientific evidence does not show that sugar consumption causes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, blood sugar fluctuations can affect concentration, mood, and energy levels.

According to new statistics published today (Monday), the number of people suffering from arthritis (osteoarthritis) worldwide is expected to reach about one billion people by 2050; The number in 2023 was about 600 million people.

An eye and pupil surgeon says: Any headache that lasts more than a week requires a detailed examination of the optic nerve head, and if swelling is observed in the optic nerve head, the patient should be immediately referred to specialized centers to control the pressure in the skull.

In a systematic review and meta-analysis, the researchers showed that the infection of the spine fusion surgery site, if the implants are kept, does not necessarily lead to more pain and disability in the long term, but it increases the risk of non-union of the vertebrae, re-surgery and re-hospitalization.

Dizziness, blurred vision, headache and even nausea may be signs of a stroke; Symptoms that are sometimes not taken seriously due to their similarity to common and everyday complications and destroy the opportunity for timely treatment.