NeuroTalk Support Groups - Supplements to help

NeuroTalk Support Groups (https://www.neurotalk.org/)

- Diabetes / Insulin Resistance / Metabolic Syndrome (https://www.neurotalk.org/diabetes-insulin-resistance-metabolic-syndrome/)

- - Supplements to help (https://www.neurotalk.org/diabetes-insulin-resistance-metabolic-syndrome/46033-supplements-help.html)

Supplements to help

Does anyone know what natural supplements might help with insulin resistence?

Also, what type of exercise might be best? Walking slowly vs running, etc? Interval training????

Thank you.

Hi Vowel Lady,

I was dx'd with insulin resistance back in Feb. The doc put me on Metformin but I could not tolerate the full dose so I take a lower dose with my largest meals.

I also introduced a complex suplement called metaglycemx from metagenics. Its for insulin activity and glucose levels. It has several thinsg that they say are good for insulin resistance like chromium (a cofactor in insulin's ability to bind to insulin receptr sites and regulate blood sugar), alpha lipoic acid (antioxidant to help in the production of energy for cells) and cinnamon. I take two of these metaglycemx a day.

Other peple take stand alone supplements like the alpha lipoic acid. They have a newer one called R lipoic acid which you dont need as much of.

Some others take cinnamon capsules to help control sugar. Not the stuff in the baking aisle but in the supplement area. The cinnamon in the baking aisle can have impurities and over time not be good for you. The supplements are more pure.

I am sure some others will be along to offer suggestions.

Can I ask have you been dx'd with insulin resistance? Would you care to share your results? I am happy to share mine.

Hi Chicks!! Apparantly chromium picolate can help but I have not seen that much of a difference...maybe I was not patient enough.. Cinnamon yes....I think it makes a bit of improvement if only for the fact that it does help with cravings! I think Mrs.D may be able to help with this one!

Some links:

Chromium: From Marcia Zimmerman--- a very very good expert:

http://www.thenutritionsolution.com/...ndDiabetes.htm

Quote:

Dr. Anderson says a minimum of 200 mcg of chromium daily is needed for at least three months to have a noticeable effect on insulin response. While noting that lower doses (around the government-recommended daily 80 mcg) might fill the nutritional needs of healthy individuals, his research suggests that this dosage is far too low to have therapeutic effects. No toxicity has been reported with high doses of supplemental chromium. But anyone with diabetes who uses insulin should consult with a healthcare provider about chromium supplements, since the insulin dosage may have to be adjusted.

R-lipoic acid:
This supplement has become affordable recently and is much better than alpha lipoic (which is a mix of racemic lipoic, 1/2 that doesn't work)
http://www.advance-health.com/rlipoicacid.html
Lipoic acid also improves mitochondrial functions...it is a very good insurance for aging people. Lipoic acid reduces blood sugars, so must be used carefully in diabetics already on a treatment protocol. (drugs or drugs + insulin---where doses may need to be lowered.)

Cinnamon: This is persisting as useful. (somethings do not persist)
http://www.rxreview.info/columns/1.html
Cinnamon may prevent post-prandial glucose extremes.

Taurine: This nutrient is often recommended with inositol for weight loss and insulin sensitization:
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/conten...00003/art00003
Taurine improves heart function, CNS effects, and also improves gall bladder functions. It is not expensive, and not harmful

Diabetics also lose magnesium and inositol in the urine.
This is a little off topic of sensitizing insulin, but it is significant.

I see that this forum's name has changed? That is a big improvement IMO.

Many many people have metabolic syndrome (myself included). I have a serious genetic history of relatives
with diabetes. I am almost 62 and still skating away from this diagnosis. I wonder if I can succeed some days!
My mother became diabetic in her early 40's, and died in her early 50's, and still I am here with PCOS and
metabolic syndrome and no frank diabetes. It is a total uphill battle and money spent on things/diet to
prevent it. I think however, I will lose, this fight. Genetics always win.

Those here should be visiting our PN board too. People without a definite diabetic diagnosis are still prone to
peripheral neuropathy...and that can be attended to.
Benfotiamine... a form of thiamine B1... which is better and fat soluble has shown for many years in many
countries to be helpful for PN.

Thank you so very much Mrs.D....your help appreciated!! I wonder ifmy magnesium levels are low and causing such severe leg cramps at night!!

Best to take some magnesium.... start at 1/2 the RDA as listed on my
magnesium thread.

Remember...your heart needs it too. Low levels lead to arrhythmias.

I am looking around PubMed for other agents and found this:

Quote:

1: Mol Cell Biochem. 2001 Jul;223(1-2):95-102.Click here to read Links
Long-term effects of chromium, grape seed extract, and zinc on various metabolic parameters of rats.
Preuss HG, Montamarry S, Echard B, Scheckenbach R, Bagchi D.

Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Georgetown University Medical School, Washington, DC, USA.

Progressive insulin resistance may contribute to both enhanced glycosylation of proteins and nucleic acids and augmented free radical damage commonly associated with aging. Accordingly, ingestion of chromium and antioxidants which improve insulin sensitivity and/or lessen free radical formation could theoretically ameliorate these basic disorders and lessen signs and symptoms of chronic age-related disorders. However, this supposition is based primarily upon acute rather than chronic data. Therefore, we divided 104 F344/BN rats into 2 groups: a control group receiving a basic diet and a test group receiving the same diet with added chromium polynicotinate (5 ppm), zinc monomethionine (18 ppm elemental zinc), and a grape seed extract high in flavonoids (250 ppm). Initial mean systolic blood pressures (SBP) of both control and test groups were 122 mm Hg. Over the first 7 months, the SBP of the control animals steadily increased to 140 mm Hg and remained at this level for the next 7-8 months. In contrast, the SBP of the test animals initially decreased over the first 4 months to as low as 110-114 mm Hg. The SBP then increased over the following months, essentially reaching the starting value of 120 mm Hg. This was still significantly lower than control (p < 0.001). In 12 control and 12 test rats, hepatic TBARS formation, an estimate of lipid peroxidation/free radical formation, was significantly lower after 1 year ingesting the test diet (p < 0.04); and HbA1C was also statistically significantly lower in the test group (5.4 vs. 4.8%, p < 0.003). Circulating levels of cholesterol, HDL, and triglycerides were similar between the two groups. Body, kidney, and liver weights were not different after 1 year ingesting the different diets; but epididymal fat pad weight was less in the group receiving supplements. We conclude that after prolonged supplementation a combination of agents known to sensitize insulin response and act as antioxidants (chromium polynicotinate, grape seed extract, and zinc monomethionine) can markedly lower SBP in normotensive rats, lessen oxidative damage to fats as suggested by decreased TBARS formation, and lower HbA1C without showing signs of toxicity.

PMID: 11681727 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Also another mineral has been looked at-- vanadyl sulfate.

Quote:

1: Arch Med Res. 2007 Apr;38(3):276-83. Epub 2007 Jan 22.Click here to read Links
Vanadyl sulfate, taurine, and combined vanadyl sulfate and taurine treatments in diabetic rats: effects on the oxidative and antioxidative systems.
Tas S, Sarandol E, Ayvalik SZ, Serdar Z, Dirican M.

Department of Biology, Science and Literature Faculty, Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey. smeral@uludag.edu.tr

BACKGROUND: Vanadyl sulfate (VS) and taurine are two promising agents in the treatment of diabetes related to their antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, and hyperinsulinemic effects. Data about the effects of VS on the oxidant-antioxidant system is limited and controversial. However, taurine is a well-documented antioxidant agent and our aim was to investigate the effects of VS, taurine and VS and taurine combination on the oxidative-antioxidative systems in streptozotocin-nicotinamide (STZ-NA) diabetic rats. METHODS: Nicotinamide (230 mg/kg, i.p.) and streptozotocin (65 mg/kg, i.p.) were administered. VS (0.75 mg/mL) and taurine (1%) were added to drinking water for 5 weeks. Rats were divided as control (C), diabetes (D), diabetes+VS (D+VS), diabetes+taurine (D+T), diabetes+VS and taurine (D+VST). Plasma and tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometry, respectively. Paraoxonase and arylesterase activities were measured by spectrophotometric methods and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were determined using commercial kits. RESULTS: VS, taurine and VS and taurine combination treatments reduced the enhanced blood glucose, serum total cholesterol and triglyceride, tissue MDA and plasma MDA (except in the D+VS group) levels and increased the reduced serum insulin level, serum paraoxonase and arylesterase activities, GSH-Px activity and SOD activity (except in the D+VS group). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study suggest that VS and taurine exert beneficial effects on the blood glucose and lipid levels in STZ-NA diabetic rats. However, VS might exert prooxidative or antioxidative effects in various components of the body and taurine and VS combination might be an alternative for sole VS administration.

PMID: 17350476 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

However, I've been a bit leary of vanadyl sulfate.

Quote:

1: Nutr Health. 1984;3(1-2):79-85.Links
Vanadium and manic depressive psychosis.
Naylor GJ.

The evidence for the involvement of vanadium in the aetiology of manic depressive psychosis is reviewed. Raised levels of vanadium have been reported in plasma in mania and depression and raised hair levels reported in mania. Lithium has been reported to reduce the inhibition of Na-K ATPase by vanadate. Several groups of psychotropic drugs (e.g. phenothiazines, monoamine oxidase inhibitors) have been shown to catalyse the reduction of vanadate to the less active vanadyl ion. Therapies based on decreasing vanadate levels in the body (e.g. ascorbic acid, EDTA, methylene blue) have been reported to be effective in both depression and mania.

PMID: 6443582 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

There is really no concrete information about taking vanadium/vanadyl sulfate and the effects it has on bipolar disorder/mania.

This is what the PDR has to say:
http://www.pdrhealth.com/drugs/altme...&contentId=528

The University of Maryland is also guarded about this substance:
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vanadium-000330.htm

Thank you everyone; special thanks to Mrs. D for the research.
Shelly, you asked if I have been dx'd with inulin resistence.
No...but I have been very curious since I gain weight unusually easily, especially after ingesting sugar. I am VERY careful with reference to the amount of calories I eat daily and I exercise regularly. However, I do have a sweet tooth. So, every few days, I might have some sugar. On these days, I might gain a pound. Sometimes, this pound does NOT come off and I am amazed...given that I eat small portions of healthy food the great majority of the time and do a LOT of walking on the treadmill (sometimes I jog). Most of my weight is in my stomach :mad: and I am prone to high blood pressure :mad: although I am taking a small amount of high blood pressure medication and getting good results with that:).

I think I am getting stubborn or frustrated with all the supplements I am taking. Therefore, with certain things I am not consistent. However, lately I have been consistently taking chromium picolate and I think it is helping a little. I have a combo acetyl L cartine alpha lipoic acid supplement that I take a few times a week. IT's hard to say if this is helping. I also put cinnamon in my tea and/or coffee a couple of times a week (don't drink much of these things). I've gotten some slight improvement.

Will take another look at taurine with inositol. Are these two supplements to be taken at night? If I recall correctly, when I tried them in the past, they made me a little sleepy.

When one says...

I gained a pound... in one day like that... I think that is water weight gain,
not tissue.

I take my taurine in the morning. My husband takes his inositol in the morning too. Neither of us notice any sedation. I can't tolerate high doses every day
of inositol however. So I don't take it as often. It makes me jittery/over reactive.

Methyl B12 and tryptophan can sedate. Take at night only.
The R-lipoic acid I find, jazzes me up like caffeine, so I can't take that at night. I take my SAMe in the morning. Any B-complex and/or folate take early in the day.

In general when your insulin is working better, you will feel less tired, esp after eating. Anything high carb also creates sedation...because it stimulates serotonin. So save your "treats" for dinner (later in the day).

I find a high protein breakfast is best for me. I then eat a smaller lunch (sometimes much smaller) and a small dinner. I work best on a good solid
meal for breakfast. A high carb breakfast is just a bummer for me..I can go back to bed on one.

As far as cinnamon goes, only the CASSIA form has shown usefulness.
Cinnamon spice may be a mixture of other types.
And you need at least 2 grams a day.
This explains the types:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassia
If purchased in capsule form, you can read the label and see what you are getting. Spice from the grocery store may not be what you think.
types:
http://www.tis-gdv.de/tis_e/ware/gewuerze/zimt/zimt.htm

Dr. Jensen-Kittley recommends both inositol and taurine in her book and online.
http://www.obesitysanswer.com/
That is where I found them!

Mrs. D.

You said:

"Methyl B12 and tryptophan can sedate. Take at night only"

I've been taking the Methyl B-12 when I first wake up in the morning (on an empty stomach). I believe I read this on the boards, that this is the way to take it. It gives me a lot of energy.

Now am I nuts, or did I read you correctly?? You say to take Methyl B-12 at night?? I know that tryptophan (the stuff in turkey), makes you sleepy, that's why everybody wants to sleep after Thanksgiving turkey dinner.

But why does Methyl B sedate a person?.

Never happened to me. It gives me energy.

Did I read you correctly?

Also, can you explain about the Cornell thing. I know they stopped the intensive part of the study and moved everybody over to the conservative part, because some people died of heart attacks when their a1c got lowered.

I really don't understand why this is so.

Isn't the a1c supposed to be lower than when one started in the study?? And what does that have to do with the heart??

If you could explain this, when you get a moment, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks much.

Melody