Contents:
- Medical Video: Things Diabetics Should Never Forget
- Do you need to take supplements for diabetes?
- What vitamin supplements are good for diabetes?
- Tips for choosing supplements for diabetes
Medical Video: Things Diabetics Should Never Forget
The main recommendation for diabetics is to avoid consuming sugar and sweet foods so that their blood sugar levels are always under control. However, to live healthy and blood sugar is always maintained, not only that thing must be done. You also have to consume various types of other nutrients that can help maintain your overall health and certainly prevent complications of diabetes from occurring. Therefore, many diabetics rely on supplements to meet their vitamin needs and minerals.
Do you need to take supplements for diabetes?
Supplements do function to increase the intake of vitamins and minerals and prevent the body from experiencing a deficiency of these nutrients. But basically, supplements are not so needed by the body. Especially if you can manage your diet well, then supplements for diabetes are not needed. But there are some things that make supplements needed by the body, namely if:
- Diabetics are asked to apply a low-calorie diet, this makes their food limited and may run the risk of experiencing a deficiency in certain vitamins or minerals.
- Diabetics who adopt the vegan diet.
- Diabetics who are pregnant.
Basically, eating full food is the best way to get all the nutrients your body needs. Therefore, if you don't have a special condition that makes you have to take supplements, it's better to eat fruits and vegetables.
Not only that, you can get various types of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients when eating full foods because your food contains various nutrients - unlike supplements that only contain one nutrient.
What vitamin supplements are good for diabetes?
Supplements for diabetes are actually not prohibited, this depends on the needs and conditions of each patient. If indeed you are encouraged to take supplements, then you can choose a supplement that contains some of the following vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin D. Although only a few studies have stated that vitamin D can help control blood sugar in diabetics, supplements that contain this vitamin should be considered for your consumption. In addition, vitamin D can also help you avoid osteoporosis.
- Vitamin C. The results of several studies suggest that diabetics are at risk of developing vitamin C deficiency, therefore vitamin C intake must be considered. Vitamin C itself also has a role in controlling blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels in diabetics.
- Vitamin E. This vitamin acts as an antioxidant that has the ability to prevent heart disease, kidney failure, and impaired visual function that is susceptible to diabetes.
- Magnesium. It is known that one in four people with diabetes has magnesium deficiency. This can be caused by side effects of drugs that make magnesium removed by the body too much.
Tips for choosing supplements for diabetes
If indeed you decide to take supplements, here are tips for choosing supplements for diabetics:
- Choose supplements that do not contain vitamins and minerals which are 100% daily. This, to prevent the excess of a vitamin and mineral that can also be harmful to the body.
- Discuss this with the medical team that treats you, so you can consider and find out which supplement is best for your condition at that time.
- Don't forget, look at the expiration date and make it a habit to read the nutritional value printed on the supplement packaging. Make sure if the ingredients are in accordance with the recommended nutrients you need.
