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Alternative medicine
By Mayo Clinic staffAlthough two naturally occurring substances — chromium and cinnamon — have been shown in some studies to improve insulin sensitivity, other studies have failed to find any benefit for blood sugar control or in lowering A1C levels. Because of the conflicting findings, neither substance is currently recommended for diabetes control.
References
- Diabetes mellitus (DM). The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec12/ch158/ch158b.html#sec12-ch158-ch158b-1105. Accessed Feb. 22, 2011.
- Standards of medical care in diabetes — 2011. Diabetes Care. 2011:34:S11.
- McCulloch DK, et al. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 18, 2011.
- 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/index.htm. Accessed Feb. 22, 2011.
- McCulloch DK. Initial management of blood glucose in type 2 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 18, 2011.
- McCulloch DK, et al. Prediction and prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 18, 2011.
- Screening for type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf08/type2/type2rs.htm. Accessed Feb. 27, 2011.
- Diabetes statistics. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics. Accessed Feb. 27, 2011.
- What people with diabetes need to know about osteoporosis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Osteoporosis/Conditions_Behaviors/diabetes.asp. Accessed Feb. 22, 2011.
- Helzner EP, et al. Contribution of vascular risk factors to the progression in Alzheimer disease. Archives of Neurology. 2009;66:343.
- Bainbridge KE. Diabetes and hearing impairment in the United States: Audiometric evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999 to 2004. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2008;149:1.
- Baker WL, et al. Effect of cinnamon on glucose control and lipid parameters. Diabetes Care. 2008;31:41.
- Balk EM, et al. Effect of chromium supplementation on glucose metabolism and lipids. 2007;30:2154.
- Huxley R, et al. Coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea consumption in relation to incident type 2 diabetes mellitus. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2009;169:2053.
- Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome (HHNS). American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/hyperosmolar-hyperglycemic.html. Accessed Feb. 27, 2011.
- Diabetic ketoacidosis. National Center for Biotechnology Information. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001363. Accessed Feb. 24, 2011.
- Frye RL, et al. A randomized trial of therapies for type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;360:2503.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Use of hepatitis B vaccine for adults with diabetes mellitus: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2011:60;1709.
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