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Alternative medicine

By Mayo Clinic staff

Controlling Your Diabetes

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Numerous substances have been shown in some studies to improve insulin sensitivity, yet other studies have failed to find any benefit for blood sugar control or in lowering A1C levels. Because of the conflicting findings, no alternative therapies are currently recommended for diabetes control. Some of the substances that have been studied in diabetes include:

  • Alpha-lipoic acid
  • Caffeine
  • Cinnamon
  • Chromium
  • Flaxseed
  • Ginseng
  • Glucomannan
  • Guar gum
  • Magnesium
  • Niacinamide
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin E

If you'd like to try an alternative therapy for your child, discuss this with a doctor who is familiar with these alternative treatments. It's important to check with your child's doctor first to be sure that whatever treatment you'd like to try won't cause an adverse reaction with other medications your child may be taking. It's also important not to stop giving your child any prescribed medications, especially insulin, without first consulting your child's doctor.

Coping and support Treatments and drugs
References
  1. Rosenbloom AL, et al. ISPAD clinical practice consensus guidelines 2009 compendium — Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents. Pediatric Diabetes. 2009;10(suppl):17.
  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. Standards of medical care in diabetes — 2011. Diabetes Care. 2011;34(suppl):1.
  5. Simms-Robinson C, et al. How does diabetes accelerate Alzheimer disease pathology? Nature Reviews: Neurology. 2010;6:551.
  6. Laffel L, et al. Management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 19, 2011.
  7. Ketoacidosis. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/ketoacidosis.jsp. Accessed Jan. 14, 2011.
  8. Natural Medicines in the Clinical Management of Diabetes. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Dec. 2, 2010.
  9. Shapiro S, et al. The role of complementary and alternative therapies in pediatric diabetes. Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America. 2009;38:791.
  10. Copeland K, et al. Management of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in children and adolescents. Pediatrics. 2013;131:364.
DS00946 March 9, 2013

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