A R T I C L E
147
F E A T U R E
A R T I C L E
Description
Examples
Biologically based
practices
Mind-body medicine
Energy medicine
148
F E A T U R E
A R T I C L E
Hypothesized Effect(s)
on Glucose Metabolism
Insulin secretagogue
Aloe vera
Insulin secretagogue
Insulin mimetic
None reported
Gymnema sylvestre
(gymnema)
Insulin secretagogue
Momordica charantia
(bitter melon)
Insulin mimetic
Decreased hepatic
glucose production
Glucose-6-phosphate deficiency
Contraindicated in pregnancy
Opuntia streptacantha
(prickly pear cactus,
nopal)
Insulin mimetic
Alters hepatic glucose metabolism
Insulin secretagogue
Decreased carbohydrate absorption
Alpha-lipoic acid
Increased insulin
sensitivity
Chromium
Increased insulin
sensitivity
Minimal
Coenzyme Q10
No effect on blood
glucose
Magnesium
Insulin secretagogue
Increased insulin
sensitivity
Slight increase in
blood glucose
Vanadium
Insulin mimetic
Botanicals
Supplements
*All biologically based practices that may reduce blood glucose have the potential for interacting with conventional diabetes
medications, producing hypoglycemia. This is not a comprehensive list of potential adverse effects.
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F E A T U R E
150
A R T I C L E
F E A T U R E
A meta-analysis of 14 RCTs48
of patients with type 2 diabetes
(n = 381) concluded that there
were significant changes in glucose
metabolism after supplementation
with chromium. Overall, the authors
emphasized the poor quality of studies and the need for further research.
Reports suggest that response to
chromium may be dependent on
individual patient phenotypes with
those with high insulin resistance
being most responsive.4951
Coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 is
a cofactor used in oxidative respiration and is produced endogenously.
Supplementation of coenzyme Q10 is
especially popular for cardiovascular
diseases. Two RCTs of patients with
type 2 diabetes and a single RCT of
patients with type 1 diabetes produced no strong evidence for glycemic
control with coenzyme Q10 supplementation.52,53
Magnesium. Magnesium is an
abundant mineral in the human body
involved in numerous biochemical
processes, including glucose metabolism. Dietary sources of magnesium
include whole grains, beans, nuts,
and green, leafy vegetables. Magnesium deficiency is associated with
poor glucose control in patients with
diabetes.54 However, in clinical trials,
supplementation of magnesium has
not yielded clear long-term positive
benefits in type 2 diabetes.
Song et al.55 conducted a metaanalysis compiling data from nine
RCTs with a total of 370 subjects
with type 2 diabetes. The duration
of the studies ranged from 4 to 16
weeks and the studies administered a median magnesium dose
of 15 mmol/day (360 mg/day) to
active-treatment groups. The mean
post-intervention fasting glucose
after 12 weeks of treatment was
significantly lower among activetreatment compared to placebo
groups: 0.56 mmol/l (95% CI
1.10 to 0.01). The difference in
A R T I C L E
151
F E A T U R E
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A R T I C L E
Content
Public
National Center for Complementary
and Alternative Medicine
(nccam.nih.gov)
Proprietary
Natural Medicines Comprehensive
Database
(www.naturaldatabase.com)
Natural Standard
(www.naturalstandard.com)
Consumerlab.com
(www.consumerlab.com)
F E A T U R E
A R T I C L E
Evidence of Safety
Advice
High
High
Recommend
Inconclusive
High
High
Inconclusive
Inconclusive or low
Low/unsafe
Discourage
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21
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