Complementary Health and Diabetes: A Focus on Dietary Supplements

In the United States more than 30 million persons have diabetes and over 80 million have prediabetes. Many of these individuals report they have used complementary and alternative medicines (now called complementary health approaches by the National Institutes of Health) to treat their diabetes or its comorbidities. These complementary health approaches include supplements. In this reality, clinicians are encouraged to understand potential issues that may arise with supplement use, know what research is available, and be prepared to guide their patients and answer their questions about supplements and alternative modalities. This guide to dietary supplements and diabetes gives health care professionals the information they need to guide patients and provide them with evidence-based advice on supplement use. It contains research summaries of 38 commonly used botanical and nonbotanical supplements, including honey, probiotics, turmeric, zinc, and many more. Each product chapter includes information on chemical constituents, theorized mechanism of action, adverse effects, drug interactions, and a summary of clinical studies.