Q: What brand of cinnamon and alpha lipoic acid supplements should I purchase and can I take these supplements at the same time?
A: It is not the purpose of this site to recommend a brand. Just be sure any supplements you buy have no dyes, fillers, etc. If you have a reputable health food store in your area, that would be a good place to inquire about different brands. The supplements can be taken simultaneously. Be sure to include a multivitamin in the mix, and 1-2 fish oil capsules a day.
Q: Coaches and friends are encouraging my 15 year old son with type 1 diabetes to drink whey protein and consume CLA to build muscle strength for football. Wouldn't this be hard on his kidneys? He has spilled small amounts of protein before, but not lately. My son wants to keep up with the other guys. Please respond as I am scared he is fixing to take the CLA without telling me.
A: CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is fatty acid which is found primarily in the milk and meat of grass fed animals. Range fed animals contain 10 times the CLA of those that are grain fed. CLA has been shown to be safe and effective for people with diabetes needing to lose body fat, depending on what else is involved with lifestyle, etc.
To build muscle mass, your protein cautions are warranted if kidney damage is evident. It's also tough to feel "left behind" one's passion. A protein drink at breakfast, along with something like whole grain toast and an egg may work; gives the day a good start and is a boost to the thyroid glands. He may be able to repeat the shake as late afternoon snack before a workout. Monitoring his kidney functions (he can monitor microalbuminaria at home) will help with seeing if there are any side effects. It may be that psychologically this will work in the short run, and not be viewed as a longer term aspiration. Keep working for the balance here.
Q: Is it safe to take creatine and glutamine supplements for the purpose of muscle gain if I am type 2?
A: Before any nutritional supplements are applied, it is first necessary to assess your diet and lifestyle. Appropriate balancing of dietary needs with blood sugar goals should be the first target. Secondly, be realistic about your body type, and what would be a target for gain in muscle size. At low dose levels, this supplement combination may be of benefit without compromising any health status. I suggest you truly fine tune your diet focusing on eating legumes and veggies in a 4:1 ratio to any animal/fish protein - with high omega-3 fish such as salmon being the best choice.
Q: Do acidophilus supplements help diabetes?
A: Yes, taking probiotic or "friendly" bacteria such as acidophilus can help your digestive tract improve your metabolism, and in turn, improves blood sugar control. Yeast overgrowth is something you don't want and it can be common when blood sugars run high. Yeast feeds on sugar, which means high intakes of refined foods, even fruits in excess. Get guidance with your diet if needed for a good foundation.
Q: Is it safe to take creatine and glutamine supplements for the purpose of muscle gain if I am type 2?
A: Before any nutritional supplements are applied, it is first necessary to assess your diet and lifestyle. Appropriate dietary balancing with blood sugar goals in mind should be the first target. Secondly, be realistic about your body type, and what would even be a realistic target for gain in muscle size. At low dose levels, this supplement combination may be of benefit without compromising any health status. I suggest you truly fine tune your diet focusing on eating legumes and veggies in a 4:1 ratio to any animal/fish protein - with high omega-3 fish such as salmon being the best choice.
Q: Will taking cinnamon supplements help lower my blood sugar?
A: If you have type 2 diabetes, cinnamon may be beneficial in reducing your blood sugar levels. At Diabetes Action, we have funded some of the important research on cinnamon at the USDA’s Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center where Dr. Richard Anderson identified the water-soluble extract of cinnamon which was found to be the specific component responsible for improving insulin activity (1,2).
However, a 2007 study published in Diabetes Care (3) questions the benefits of cinnamon based on a meta-analysis of five other cinnamon studies. It is critical to note that the form of cinnamon used was not identified in all of these studies. This is important because it is hard to compare the results to those obtained by other research that used the water soluble extract of cinnamon identified by Dr. Anderson. Also, this meta-analysis included studies which looked at the effect of cinnamon on type 1 diabetes which would not be expected to have the same response as with type 2 diabetes. There have been other recent reports confirming the benefits of cinnamon (4,5,6).
If you want to see whether cinnamon can help you, be sure to purchase a product which includes the water soluble extract (trademarked as Cinnulin PF), not just any cinnamon product saying cinnamon bark, etc. since other components of whole cinnamon in high doses could be toxic. Since a minimum dose of 500-1000mg a day was used in some of the studies with positive outcomes, you could try this for 6 weeks and see if your blood sugar levels are improving. Like any medication or nutraceutical, results will vary by individual so testing your glucose levels is the only way to know for sure what works for you.
Because of the conflicting reports of the value of cinnamon, Diabetes Action is committed to funding further quality research. We are currently funding an exciting project exploring whether this same water soluble cinnamon extract can protect brain cells from risk factors associated with Alzheimer’s disease which many researchers are calling “Type 3 Diabetes”. Preliminary data is promising.
View Dr. Anderson’s 2007 presentation on cinnamon research
References
- J. Agric. Food Chem., 52(1)65-70, 2004.
- Diabetes Care 26:3215-3218, 2003
- Diabetes Care 30:813-816, 2007
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 85, No6, 1552-1556, June 2007
- Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition 3(2):45-53, 2006 http://www.jissn.com/
- The Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 459(2007) 214-222.
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