Alpha-Lipoic acid

I am taking this supplement (600 mg) and a few others that are supposed to help with diabetes. Thought you might be interested. I am especially interested in getting rid of my neuropathy.

garbly

Alpha-lipoic acid. A vitamin-like substance found in foods (beef and spinach) and produced by the body, alpha-lipoic acid plays key roles in energy production. It is part of a process that breaks down glucose (blood sugar) and burns it for energy. Studies have found that alpha-lipoic acid can lower and stabilize glucose levels in diabetics by as much as 30 percent. , It also reverses nerve pain and numbness in diabetes. Lester Packer, Ph.D., of the University of California, Berkeley, has reported that alpha-lipoic acid can reenergize other important antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E and glutathione. Packer believes, based on animal studies, that alpha-lipoic acid holds tremendous potential in helping stroke victims recover. Dosage: 50-300 mg daily.

Thanks ... will check it out.

Do you take cinnamon?

MOLLY

I was also wondering about cinnamon and if anyone has had good results taking it?

 

I have not take cinnamon in any kind of a therapeutic dose, but when I found out it was good for diabetics I was surprised, because I always craved cinnamon all my life when I had a headache or was sick! Of course I took it as cinnamon toast which is bad for you carb wise. Go figure.

 

I went to the Doctor today because I have been so dizzy lately with perfect blood sugar. I started getting dizzy after I went on a diabetic/allergy diet. She thinks I may be anemic.

garbly

I use cinnamon almost daily.  What are the healing properties that makes it an herb for diabetics?

I know it aids digestion and bad cholesterol numbers...

- Pamela

This is what I found out about cinnamon from How To Do Things.com

"Insulin, which is produced in the pancreas, helps the body's cells convert glucose into energy. People who suffer from Type 1 diabetes do not produce enough insulin while those with Type 2 diabetes produce insulin but their bodies do not use it efficiently. Thus without adequate insulin or insulin function, too much glucose (or blood sugar) remains in the bloodstream, where it can damage the body's organs.

Over the years, people have tried various folk remedies purported to help regulate blood sugar. Richard Anderson of the U.S. Department of Agriculture researched many of these purported folk remedies at theHuman Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland. Mr. Anderson and his fellow researchers discovered that cinnamon helped insulin to increase glucose metabolism in fat cells.

Researchers were able to isolate the cinnamon compounds responsible for increasing glucose metabolism, the most active of which was methylhydroxychalcone polymer (MHCP). MHCP also had a beneficent effect on free radicals in the blood. What does all this mean to you?

While cinnamon will not cure your diabetes, it may reduce the amount of insulin you need. It may also help prevent the onset of diabetes. If you do plan to incorporate cinnamon into your diet, follow these simple tips:

1.  Always contact your physician regarding any intention to alter your diet, including the incorporation of cinnamon into your diet.
2. Use ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cinnamon per day. Add it to your coffee, oatmeal, smoothie, or wherever you find it palatable.
3. If you already suffer from diabetes, be sure to stay on a regular schedule with your cinnamon usage so that your blood sugar levels don't yo-yo.Use the same amount at the same time every day so that you can get a sense of how cinnamon affects your own personal blood sugar readings.
4. Use the powdered spice or a cinnamon stick. Cinnamon pills are also available, and can be found easily via an online search. MHCP is water soluble and is not found in cinnamon oil."

Cinnamon also helps reduce bad triglycerides and has a lasting effect up to 20 days after it is taken. The active ingredient is not effected by heat so you can cook with it and it will still work.
Garbly

Thank you so much for this information.  I have type 2 diabetes.  I have been taking the cinnamon pills for about 6 months and have found that my blood sugar is getting better.  I have just joined calorie count website and have found it to be an easy way to count my calories.  please add me as a friend.

 

 

I take two 1000mg pills of cinammon when I know I am going to be eating a meal that is high in carbs / and / or sugar. 

 

It definitely does help me.. if I keep ALL factors the same.. my sugar will be noticeably lower when I take the cinammon.

 

jason

Yes.. ALA is quite good.. BUT I have heard better things of a fat soluble b-1 called- BENFOTIAMINE.  Please review this website:

http://benfotiamine.org/

 

  ...especially the testimonials.  I currently take 900 MG a day.. and I am 33 yrs old and I have been diabetic (on insulin) since the age of 8.  I luckily have not really had any neuropathy symptomns yet.. but hopefully this supplement will help in preventing it.

These are the two best places to buy it:

http://www.barrysvitaminsfl.com/contact.html& nbsp;      &nbs p;       ; OR

http://www.iherb.com/Doctor-s-Best-Best-Benfo tiamine-150-150-mg-120-Veggie-Caps/42?at=0

 

I am about to incorporate about 600mg of ALA into my supplement routine as well.

 

 

I make a tea by boiling cinnamon sticks in water and can even sweeten it with a bit of honey and it will lower my glucose levels almost immediately. I read a study in the New England Journal of Medicine that showed a study of diabetic patients that actually lowered glucose level eating apple pie because of the amount of cinnamon in the recipe, That is not to say eat apple pie as there are other things to worry about like weight gain, but how effective cinnamon can be.  A neighbor from Mexico started me drinking the tea and said it was common in her home community to control glucose levels.

I put 2-4 sticks of cinnamon in a tea kettle of water and boil or place the same amount in a sun-tea jar with my favorite herbal tea using stevia leaves for sweetener. Its delicious!