Diabetes is a serious, life-threatening, chronic medical condition affecting almost 10% of the population in the US. It is currently the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer. Diabetes can lead to nerve damage, blindness, kidney failure, atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries), stokes, and coronary heart disease. The effects of diabetes on the small vessels of the body lead to the most common causes of death in diabetic individuals.
Controlling blood sugar can help diabetics to prolong their life and the quality of it. However, keeping blood glucose at an acceptable level does not protect diabetics from all of the dangers associated with diabetes. An overwhelming percentage of diabetics not only have elevated blood glucose levels, but also have multiple vitamin deficiencies or higher vitamin requirements than someone without diabetes. Regular blood tests can help you and your physician to identify deficiencies and determine proper dosages of specific vitamins that will help you to improve your health.
One common problem for diabetics is low B vitamin levels, particularly biotin, B1, B6 and B12. Proper levels of the B vitamin folic acid, along with B12 and B6, have been found to help protect nerve cells from the damage caused by diabetes. Neuropathy is nerve damage, usually first seen in the feet of diabetics, that causes pain or numbness that can lead to amputation. Over 60% of diabetics will suffer from the effects of neuropathy. Having your doctor check and monitor your vitamin B levels can help you to avoid neuropathy.
Some people also have trouble converting B vitamins into their active forms. Supplementing with B vitamins and having your doctor monitor you can help you to determine which levels are not increasing or not being converted. If this is the case for you, your doctor can prescribe the metabolically active form of the vitamins that you need. Diabetics should be careful of niacin consumption (vitamin B3) because it can impair glucose tolerance.
B vitamins improve blood flow into the small blood vessels that are so easily damaged in diabetics. This also helps to maintain the responsiveness of nerve cells and avoid nerve damage. A deficiency in the active form of any B vitamin can cause a hypersensitivity to blood sugar changes and impaired glucose tolerance, increasing your chances of suffering the life-threatening effects of diabetes.
Other vitamins and supplements that help to control and minimize the damaging effects of diabetes include vitamin E, vitamin D, and vitamin C. Diabetics are often deficient in many of these, usually because their bodies have an increased demand for these vitamins and nutrients. In Part 2 of this series, “I’m diabetic. Which vitamins should I take?” we will discuss the different roles that these vitamins and supplements play in controlling the effects of diabetes and why your doctor may recommend that you avoid certain vitamins when you exercise. Get the benefits of the best vitamin C (vitamin c powder), vitamin E and vitamin D by working closely with your physician and closely monitoring your condition.
About the Author: Phil Le Breton is owner at Wholesale Nutrition. He has a strong interest in helping people achieve greater brain and body health with vitamins and supplements, with an emphasis on vitamin C powder. Wholesale Nutrition has provided the world with the best vitamin C and wholesale vitamins since 1970. Visit http://www.nutri.com to buy high-quality discount vitamins today!
Sources:
Diabetes Mellitus-Information http://www.diabetesmellitus-information.com/diabetes_vitamins.htm
WebMD http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20100621/low-vitamin-d-linked-to-poor-diabetes-control
Diabetes Health http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2011/02/17/7058/medical-food-treats-neuropathy/
