The Seven Essential Vitamins and Minerals for Diabetes

Diabetes is widely regarded as an inflammatory disease that has ramifications for your overall health, including your sleep and weight. To reduce its effects, you can use different minerals and vitamins. Many studies and researches show that certain vitamins and mineral supplements are quite beneficial for diabetes patients. They are even more effective for older adults and people who don’t take a balanced diet like meat, fish, and vegetables. 

Few high-potency supplements provide more plant extracts and micronutrients. They help the body heal and balance and act as therapy with no nasty side effects of pharmaceuticals. We are going to discuss a few of the best vitamins and minerals that diabetes patients can take. They don’t only help to regulate glucose but also help with high blood sugar.

Here are some basic minerals and vitamins for diabetes that are effective in maintaining your blood glucose level. 

1. Vitamin D

The most important vitamin for people with diabetes is vitamin D, which improves your body’s insulin sensitivity. Having sufficient levels of vitamin D in your body will regulate sugar levels in your body. 

Vitamin D is commonly associated with strong and healthy bones. While the fact is that vitamin D not only maintains your physical health but is physiological as well. 

According to research, vitamin D deficiency leads to increased insulin resistance. The richest and cheapest source of getting Vitamin D intake is through direct exposure to sunlight. 

Vitamin D supplements should be taken when people are deficient in it or when it is not absorbed in the blood. It depicts less vitamin D means more chances of developing diabetes. The vitamin D absorbing capacity is also reduced in some people with aging and being overweight. 

Taking Vitamin D supplements helps to keep the patient’s blood sugar levels stable. If you have Type 2 diabetes, you need to take a ≥ 1000 IU vitamin D dose for 12 weeks regularly. 

In addition, vitamin D-rich foods from natural sources, such as fortified foods, cod liver oil, and fatty fish, should be consumed. Whenever you feel vitamin D deficiency in your body, boost exposure to sunlight and intake of these foods.

2. Vitamin B1

Vitamin B1 is another vitamin that impairs effective glucose tolerance. According to the Dietary Supplements Office of the US, there is less Thiamin (b1) level in people suffering from diabetes type 1 or 2. 

Since blood sugar imbalances cause diabetic neuropathy, vitamin B1 has been found to effectively reduce diabetic neuropathy pain. It depicts that you should never compromise the level of thiamin in your body. 

Thiamin regulates a variety of body functions in addition to maintaining blood sugar levels. Having a sufficient amount of thiamin plays a therapeutic role in keeping your body safe from renal and cardiovascular disorders. 

Start taking vitamin B1 supplements as soon as you realize your body is deficient in them. No doubt that dietary intake cannot beat the worth of an extra dose, but B1 supplements efficiently normalize thiamine levels in red blood cells of people with diabetes. 

Health experts usually recommend taking vitamin B1 supplements in >4 mg/day dose. If you want to boost your blood thiamine level for glucose regulation by dietary intake, make sure to have 1-1.4 mg vitamin B1 daily. 

However, it is dependent on the degree of deficiency in your body. The more thiamin deficient your body is, the riskier it is to developing diabetes. Use nuts, beef, legumes, whole grains, kale, eggs, potatoes, oranges, and asparagus in your daily meal to keep your blood glucose level stable. 

3. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is extremely beneficial in maintaining blood glucose levels. It is very effective in improving insulin activity in your body, oxygenating blood and tissues, and fighting toxins. 

If you don’t get enough Vitamin E, your body’s internal structure is at risk of being damaged by increased free-radical activity. Taking Vitamin E supplements makes you less likely to undergo type 2 diabetes disease. 

What if you’ve already been diagnosed with diabetes? Increase vitamin E intake to improve glucose tolerance in your body. Moreover, its antioxidant nature prevents your cells from damage and premature aging. 

Vitamin E also aids in the stabilization of cell membranes, the inhibition of protein glycosylation, the enhancement of immunity, and the reduction of blood clots.

Supplementing with vitamin E is also a good idea if your vitamin E level is very low. Taking a vitamin E supplement in the range of 7-11mg per day is highly recommended to maintain a good dietary balance. 

Make sure your vitamin E supplements contain a variety of tocopherols, as supplements containing only one tocopherol can be dangerous. No doubt that vitamin E supplements can maintain blood sugar levels in the body of diabetes patients. 

However, consuming vitamin E through food rather than supplements is preferable. Almonds, nut butter, avocado, sunflower seeds, fresh salmon, and hazelnuts are rich sources of vitamin E. 

4. Vitamin B-12

Vitamin B-12 is crucial in the treatment of people with diabetes. The presence of this vitamin is quite important for the correct functioning of nerve cells. So it depicts that taking this vitamin can also aid your nervous system to keep healthy.  

Vitamin B-12 has been shown in studies to help with neuropathy pain, which is a common diabetes complication. It means that people with diabetes may also have an issue with Vitamin B-12 deficiency. 

Aside from that, strict vegetarians and vegans may suffer from B-12 deficiency due to meat and dairy consumption.

You might be surprised to learn that Vitamin B-12 is essential for red blood cells and brain function. Also, diabetes patients who suffer nerve damage might witness severe symptoms because of the deficiency of B-12.  So, if you are taking Metformin, you may notice B-12 deficiency at the highest levels. 

B-12 deficiency can cause memory loss in older people. You can consume fish, milk, meat products, and eggs as they are the best sources.

5. Magnesium

Minerals, like vitamins, play an important role in regulating body metabolism. One of such critical minerals is magnesium which plays its role in more than 300 processes. 

Magnesium, the fifth most abundant mineral, regulates blood sugar levels as well as ATP energy storage. People often pay no heed to the intake of magnesium regularly. Many people suffer from a magnesium deficiency due to eating food or crops with less Mg content. 

One of magnesium’s primary functions is insulin and glucose metabolism. It means that you should not get surprised if having Mg deficiency leads to an imbalanced glucose level.

Furthermore, Mg strongly influences cardiac function, neuromuscular communication, blood pressure, and muscle contractions. Besides this, magnesium deficiency causes many chronic diseases like insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, migraines, and Alzheimer’s. 

Eat magnesium-rich foods to protect yourself from diabetes, insulin resistance, and other diseases. Healthy dietary sources are bananas, pumpkin seeds, green vegetables like spinach, figs, avocado, almonds, and dark chocolate. 

Magnesium is best taken at night because it relaxes the nerves and muscles. On average, a diabetes patient having magnesium deficiency should intake magnesium-rich dietary fibers in the range of 300 to 600 mg daily.

6. Chromium

Chromium is another metal and an important mineral that can help to lower blood sugar levels. Besides that, it is a crucial nutrient in our bodies to fight against diabetes. 

Chromium is also effective at lowering fasting glucose, lowering triglyceride and cholesterol levels, and lowering insulin levels. This mineral naturally occurs in meat, fish, fruits, rye bread, and vegetables. 

Chromium appears to be safe in low doses, according to Dr. Tipton, and it may help control diabetes. But, if taken continuously, it may have a few side effects like kidney issues that are already a common problem for some with diabetes. 

Chromium should only be used after consulting with your doctor, as it has the potential to improve glucose tolerance in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

You can either use brewer’s yeast stocked with chromium or chromium chloride to improve your glucose tolerance. You may find this supplement in the market by chromium picolinate, chromium nicotinate, and chromium chloride. 

Exercise for diabetes may also increase the concentration of chromium tissues. So, you can try that too, as this mineral might have a role in pre-diabetic conditions. 

7. Selenium

This mineral is great for gut and thyroid health but also for blood sugar control. It comes with several antioxidant properties that offer multiple benefits. According to one study, selenium altered the number of genes involved in blood sugar regulation. 

Selenium deficiency is common in people with diabetes. Besides that, it is also lower in people with high blood sugar. This study also proves that selenium has improved blood sugar and insulin levels in diabetes patients.

Selenium is also beneficial when used in conjunction with insulin therapy. Furthermore, it also restores normal glucose metabolism as compared to insulin alone.

After consulting with your doctor, you can take selenium supplements or eat foods high in this mineral. For example, you can eat mushrooms, asparagus, salmon, etc. 

FAQs

1. Which vitamin should you avoid in diabetes?

Niacin is a vitamin supplement that people with diabetes should avoid. People usually take this to raise the level of HDL cholesterol in the body, but it also disturbs glucose levels in the blood. It boosts the glucose level in your body even if you are fasting, leading to obesity. Moreover, if you are taking it to increase HDL cholesterol to protect yourself from cardiac diseases, consult your physician first. Keep yourself away from Niacin if you are a diabetes patient. 

2. Is it healthy to take Vitamin B complex daily?

Vitamin B is very effective at regulating blood glucose levels, but taking too much of it can be dangerous. Whether you are taking a Vitamin B complex supplement or eating it in the form of food, you should maintain its amount according to expert recommendations. Moreover, it’s not possible to take in complexes of water-soluble Vitamin B alone. It depicts that a higher level of vitamin B supplement is fatal to health. So, it’s not healthy to take Vitamin B complex supplements daily. 

3. Can diabetes patients take pills of Vitamin C?

Vitamin C can be taken by those with diabetes. Vitamin C pills are a low-cost treatment option. People with diabetes often feel dizzy even after eating vitamin C supplements. It’s because these pills are linked with hypertension, leading to low blood pressure levels. But there is no need to worry while taking in vitamin C. Taking in an appropriate dose of vitamin C will maintain your blood glucose level. Feel free to check your glucose level by glucometer after taking these pills. 

4. Why are there low levels of Vitamin D in people with diabetes?

People with diabetes have been observed to have low levels of Vitamin D in their bodies. Basically, this Vitamin D deficiency is linked with insulin resistance. If the β-cells of your body stop working, your blood glucose level will disturb due to the production of insulin resistance in your body. This insulin resistance causes inflammation in the body. Vitamin D acts on the inflammatory area to reduce swelling, causing its deficiency. That’s why vitamin D levels are deficient in diabetes patients. 

Final thoughts

That’s it for now. We have mentioned a few of the basic vitamins and minerals for diabetes. But, always consult your doctor before taking one as it must be incorporated into your diet plan. Before recommending one, your doctor might order a blood test to determine what is needed. 

Keep in mind that using more minerals and vitamins can be very helpful to get better blood sugar levels. Moreover, it also lowers HBA1c and prevents both short and long-term health complications.

Klinio app can be highly beneficial when including vital vitamins and minerals into your diet. It creates a personalized meal plan just for you with already optimized portion sizes and precalculated nutritional value for each meal.