Consuming the right vitamins and minerals to help manage diabetes can control blood glucose levels. Dr. Rajeev Chawla, Director of North Delhi Diabetes Centre and Organising Secretary at Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India explains, which vitamins and minerals are important fordiabetes management.
According to Dr. Rajeev Chawla, “Vitamin A is not directly related to diabetes. However, a lack of vitamin A can cause blindness in adolescent and young people.” But if you self-medicate on vitamin A supplements, it can get stored in the liver and increase to dangerous levels in the body.
Dr. Rajeev Chawla, Director of North Delhi Diabetes Centre says, “Vitamin B is not directly linked todiabetes. However, a diabetic patient who is using the drug metformin for a long time, it can cause a Vitamin B-12 deficiency. There could be numbness in the hand and walking could become difficult.”
Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which fights free radicals, thereby making the blood vessels stronger. Vitamin C can lower the sugar level and sorbitol has a tendency to accumulate in the cells and damage the eyes and nerves.
Coming to one of the most important vitamin for diabetes management, Dr. Rajeev explains, “Vitamin D is very important for diabetes patients. Low level of vitamin D can cause Type 1 and 2 diabetes. When people have very low levels of vitamin D their tendency to responds to the treatment is also very low.”
As for minerals, Dr. Rajeev Chawla says, “Very high level of iron or iron deficiency could be the reason for diabetes. Minerals like chromium, zinc and magnesium are very important to keep diabetes at bay. Also, they are not found in regular food.”
