The 7 Best Supplements for Diabetes, According to an RD Diabetes Specialist

Diabetes affects approximately 11% of the US population, with roughly 23% of these adults being undiagnosed or unaware. If diabetes isn’t effectively managed, the excess sugar in your blood can lead to complications involving the heart, nerves, eyes, feet, and kidneys. Managing diabetes typically begins with simple lifestyle adjustments. According to Kimberley Rose-Francis, RDN, CDCES, CNSC, diet and exercise changes can initially help manage blood sugar levels, and a healthcare provider might recommend various medications to help manage diabetes.

Dietary supplements can offer further benefits in addition to medication but should be used under guidance from a health professional, as some supplements can interfere with diabetes medication. An important first step is to get blood tests to check for nutrient deficiencies. Then, a healthcare provider can guide you on the best supplement dose.

We’ve rounded up the top supplements for diabetic health that are backed by research and approved by experts, and we also address when there may be important interactions with common blood sugar medications like metformin and sulfonylureas.

Types of Supplements for Diabetes

Which supplements you should take for diabetes will vary based on your individual needs, but according to Messerli, “Most people with diabetes would likely benefit from a magnesium supplement and possibly a vitamin D supplement.” These are two nutrients that the general public is likely deficient in, and both play key roles in insulin’s action.

The following nutrients are based on research and expert recommendations for supplements for diabetes. Here is more information on how they may help regulate blood sugar:

• Fiber helps slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream. Psyllium husk, as a supplement, may be particularly helpful with blood sugar management.
• Magnesium can help with insulin resistance, and it’s a nutrient many people don’t get enough of. This is especially true during pregnancy, when magnesium needs increase.
• Vitamin D plays a role in glucose metabolism and may help lower the risk of transitioning from prediabetes to diabetes.
• Berberine may help lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes.
• Vitamin B12 can be an especially important supplement for those taking metformin to manage diabetes.
• Apple cider vinegar can help lower blood sugar levels after a meal.
• Some research suggests ginger may help the body use and lower blood glucose.

Supplements We Excluded From Our List

We excluded a few popular supplements for diabetes from our list due to a lack of strong evidence that they actually improve blood sugar or diabetes status, including cinnamon, chromium, and omega-3s. That said, we recommend consulting with your healthcare provider to identify the best supplement for your individual needs.

Is a Supplement for Diabetes Beneficial?

For many people, diet, exercise, and medication work well together to manage glucose levels effectively. There are, however, some groups of people who may benefit from additional supplementation. Mary Ellen Phipps MPH, RDN, LD points out, “People with type 1 diabetes tend to be deficient in some nutrients and may benefit from supplementing vitamin D, iron, vitamin B12, or zinc.” Prior to adding new supplements to your regimen, we recommend getting your blood levels checked for possible deficiencies, and we recommend speaking with a healthcare provider to determine how you should supplement accordingly.

Aside from treating deficiencies, supplements for people with diabetes could also be beneficial for the following reasons:

• You don’t eat a varied diet: If your diet lacks nutrient diversity—maybe you consume few fruits and vegetables, or you choose more fried, fatty meats over lean meats and seafood—then you may be lacking key nutrients that can better help regulate blood sugars and manage concurrent conditions like high blood pressure or heart disease.
• Medication use: Ironically, one popular medication indicated for diabetes—metformin—can actually lead to developing low blood levels of vitamin B12. If you are on this medication for an extended period of time, you may need to supplement. If you have diabetes and take other medications that manage cholesterol, are on antibiotics, or take antidepressants, note that these can cause nutrient deficiencies, and you may benefit from supplements as well.

Who May Not Benefit From Supplements for Diabetes

According to Phipps, “People with diabetes who are also living with other conditions like liver disease, heart disease, and kidney disease may experience negative effects from adding supplements to their routine because of medication interactions. This is why it is especially important to always speak with your doctor before starting a new supplement.”

The following groups may not benefit from supplements for diabetes.

• People taking certain medications. Diabetes is often an overlapping condition with high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol, which may require medication management. Some of the medications to treat these other conditions can become less effective if you take high-dose supplements. For example, a statin (cholesterol-lowering medication) may not work as well if you take high doses of vitamin D.
• People who eat a well-balanced diet. It is possible to manage your blood sugars with diet alone, so if you are consuming a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, lean protein, fish, whole grains, and healthy fats, then you may not benefit from additional supplementation.

How We Select Supplements

Our team works hard to be transparent about why we recommend certain supplements; you can read more about our dietary supplement methodology here.

We support supplements that are evidence-based and rooted in science. We value certain product attributes that we find to be associated with the highest quality products. We prioritize products that are third-party tested and certified by independent third-party certifiers such as USP, NSF, and ConsumerLab.com.

It’s important to note that the FDA does not review dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they go to market. Our team of experts has created a detailed, science-backed methodology to choose the supplements we recommend.

Our Experts

We interviewed the following experts to determine the best supplements for diabetes:

• Mary Ellen Phipps, MPH, RDN, LD, is the author of The Easy Diabetes Cookbook. She has also lived with type 1 diabetes for most of her adult life and helps people manage their blood sugars while still eating delicious food.
• Kimberly Rose-Francis RDN, CDCES, CNSC provides evidence-based recommendations for lowering blood sugars and encourages her clients to approach behavior change in a realistic and sustainable way.
• Kristie Messerli RD CDCES breaks down complex topics of diabetes, like medications and disease progression, in an easy-to-understand manner that helps motivate her clients to make changes for themselves.

What to Look For in Supplements for Diabetes

Third-Party Testing

Supplements that are third-party tested are sent to a lab for purity and potency testing to ensure they contain what they say they contain and do not contain potential contaminants. Trusted third-party certifications include ConsumerLab.com, NSF, USP, and Informed Choice, among others.

However, these certifications can be difficult to obtain and expensive for manufacturers, so many companies choose not to get their products tested. If you are selecting a supplement that does not have third-party testing, we recommend choosing a trusted brand that does rigorous internal testing.

Form

The supplements discussed in this article, and many others for diabetes, come in capsules, gummies, powders, or liquid forms. Ultimately the form of the supplement is up to you, but consider their ease of consumption, price, and added ingredients (such as sugar often found in gummies).

Ingredients & Potential Interactions

It is essential to carefully read the ingredient list and nutrition facts panel of a supplement to know which ingredients and how much of each ingredient is included relative to the recommended daily value of that ingredient. We recommend bringing the supplement label to a healthcare provider to review the different ingredients contained in the supplement and any potential interactions between these ingredients and other supplements and medications you are taking.

Some supplements are known to interact with prescribed medications; therefore, Messerli advises discussing each supplement you are considering with a healthcare provider. Some supplements may also contain added ingredients that are unsafe for various people, such as certain herbs that may be harmful to the liver.

People with diabetes should exercise caution with certain supplements, especially if they are taking other medications. For example, taking vitamin E is not advised if you have diabetes, and also take blood thinners like Coumadin. If you are on diabetes-lowering medications or insulin, you may be more prone to hypoglycemia or low blood sugar if you take supplements like berberine. Always review your medications and supplements with a healthcare provider before beginning a regimen.

Dosage

Potential doses for each of the supplements featured in this article are discussed above. For most vitamins and minerals, there is an established dietary reference intake (DRI), which gives the optimal level for the general population; however, for other supplements, there is no recommendation for how much to take in general, or specifically for improvements in diabetes. Also, some research may demonstrate the need for a dose higher than the established DRI, but it’s always important to discuss doses for your individual needs with a healthcare provider.

How Much is Too Much?

The upper limit for many of the discussed supplements is also less certain. How much you take may be guided by the established Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), what your healthcare provider recommends, or whether or not you are deficient in certain nutrients. Taking more than you need of some supplements can lead to unintended consequences. For example, Rose-Francis notes that a high intake of niacin, a B vitamin, may actually raise blood sugars and be counterproductive to glucose management and lowering your hemoglobin A1c.

Why Trust Verywell Health

Casey Seiden is a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified diabetes care and education specialist based out of New York City. Casey works at Maternal Fetal Medicine Associates, the premier maternal fetal medicine practice in Manhattan, where she provides nutrition therapy and counseling to women with high-risk pregnancies. She is also the founder of Casey Seiden Nutrition, a virtual private practice specializing in a non-diet approach to diabetes care and women’s health.