If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you know there are multiple approaches to managing your health and improving how your body uses insulin. Our staff of naturopathic physicians can help educate you about nature’s own “triple threat” to diabetes – the powerful supplements called alpha-lipoic acid, chromium, and vanadium.
Here’s a brief summary of what these powerful supplements can do for you…
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA)
Within the body, alpha-lipoic acid is found in every cell, where it helps turn glucose into energy. People with type-2 diabetes take ALA supplements to help their body use insulin more efficiently, as well as protect against cell damage and diabetic neuropathy. Liver, lean red meat, spinach, broccoli, and potatoes are all high in ALA.
Chromium
Chromium helps cells make efficient use of glucose. Without chromium, insulin’s action is blocked and glucose levels increase. Chromium deficiency may be a factor in the number of Americans who have diabetes. A chromium supplement can lower fasting blood glucose levels, improve glucose tolerance, decrease insulin resistance, and decrease total cholesterol and triglyceride levels while increasing HDL-cholesterol levels. Good places to find high levels of chromium include meat, fish and fruits.
Vanadium
Vanadium supports the body’s use of carbohydrates by improving how cells respond to insulin. Prior to the discovery of insulin in 1922, vanadium was used to control blood glucose. While modern conventional medicine does not recognize vanadium as an essential element in diabetes treatment, available studies suggest that the supplement does have a positive effect on blood glucose levels. Vanadium can be found naturally in mushrooms, shellfish, parsley, dill weed, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil, and grain products.
Here, at Heart of Wellness, we focus on seeing the whole you, not just a list of symptoms. We strongly believe in providing education to empower you to take charge of your own healing like you can with these three supplements. Remember, supplements can be very powerful and should be used with physician supervision!
If you have diabetes and are interested in learning more about nature’s triple threat, call us at 360-570-0401 to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.