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Alternative medicine

By Mayo Clinic staff

Controlling Your Diabetes

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There is no treatment that can replace insulin for anyone with type 1 diabetes. People who have type 1 diabetes must use injected insulin (exogenous insulin) every day to survive.

It's been suggested that some substances may help with blood sugar control, but none have been proved to effectively manage or prevent type 1 diabetes. Some of the substances that have been tested and found ineffective for blood sugar control include nicotinamide, vitamin D, cinnamon, zinc and alpha-lipoic acid.

There isn't yet enough evidence on vitamin E or chromium to assess whether or not these substances might be helpful in lowering blood sugar levels.

Prevention Coping and support
References
  1. Standards of medical care in diabetes — 2011. Diabetes Care. 2011;34(suppl):1.
  2. Your guide to diabetes: Type 1 and type 2. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/type1and2/. Accessed Jan. 10, 2011.
  3. Diabetes mellitus. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec12/ch158/ch158b.html#sec12-ch158-ch158b-1105. Accessed Jan. 13, 2011.
  4. Shulman RM, et al. Type 1 diabetes mellitus in childhood. Medicine. 2010;38:679.
  5. Knip M, et al. Dietary intervention in infancy and later signs of beta-cell autoimmunity. New England Journal of Medicine. 2010;363:1900.
  6. de Paula FJA, et al. Novel insights into the relationship between diabetes and osteoporosis. Diabetes and Metabolism Research and Reviews. 2010;26:622.
  7. Sims-Robinson C, et al. How does diabetes accelerate Alzheimer disease pathology? Nature Reviews: Neurology. 2010;6:551.
  8. Levitsky LL, et al. Management of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home.index.html. Accessed Jan. 10, 2011.
  9. Levitsky LL, et al. Complications and screening in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home.index.html. Accessed Jan. 10, 2011.
  10. Ketoacidosis (DKA). American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/ketoacidosis.jsp. Accessed Jan. 14, 2011.
  11. Shapiro S, et al. The role of complementary and alternative therapies in pediatric diabetes. Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America. 2009;38:791.
  12. Collazzo-Clavell M (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 19, 2011.
  13. Types of insulin. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/medicines_ez/insert_C.htm. Accessed Feb. 24, 2011.
DS00931 March 3, 2011

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