Diabetic Neuropathy: Do Dietary Supplements Have a Role?
A healthy diet helps control blood sugar, and controlled blood sugar can help prevent or slow diabetic neuropathy. Dietary supplements may play a role too.
Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that can happen due to diabetes. Along with a balanced diet, some dietary supplements may help ease diabetic neuropathy symptoms.
Diabetic neuropathy can cause pain and tingling in the hands and feet, digestion problems, and trouble with sexual function. Advanced neuropathy in the feet can lead to:
- Loss of feeling.
- Ulcers that don’t heal.
- A seriously infected toe, foot, or lower leg that may need to be removed with surgery.
Eating a balanced diet is a key part of managing diabetes. Healthy food and drink choices can help keep blood sugar in a healthy range. Keeping blood sugar under control may help prevent diabetic neuropathy and other health concerns linked to diabetes. It also may slow existing nerve damage from getting worse.
Talk with your healthcare professional before you add a supplement to your healthy eating plan. Some supplements may have an effect on or mix poorly with diabetes medicines. Others can lead to kidney damage. Ask your healthcare professional if the following supplements might be right for you.
Vitamin B-12
Vitamin B-12 is found in some foods. Your body needs this nutrient to make red blood cells, nerve cells, and DNA. People who don’t get enough vitamin B-12 may have a higher risk of neuropathy and other nervous system issues.
Some medicines may lead to low vitamin B-12 in the body, including:
- Metformin (Fortamet, Glumetza), a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes.
- Proton pump inhibitors, which lessen stomach acid. These include lansoprazole (Prevacid 24 HR), omeprazole (Prilosec OTC), pantoprazole (Protonix), and esomeprazole (Nexium).
- Histamine (H-2) blockers, which also lessen stomach acid. These include famotidine (Pepcid AC) and cimetidine (Tagamet HB).
It’s unclear whether taking vitamin B-12 supplements can help treat diabetic neuropathy. Some small studies suggest that these supplements can ease diabetic neuropathy pain and other symptoms. But the supplements might help only if your body is low on vitamin B-12.
In general, a vitamin B-12 supplement is thought to be safe when taken as directed. You also can get vitamin B-12 from foods such as fish, lean red meat, and vitamin-fortified breakfast cereals.
Alpha-lipoic acid
Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant found in many foods. The body can use antioxidants to prevent or manage a process that damages tissues called oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is part of the diabetic neuropathy disease process. Alpha-lipoic acid also may lower blood sugar levels, but more research is needed.
Small studies suggest that alpha-lipoic acid may improve diabetic neuropathy pain and other symptoms such as numbness and tingling. But results are mixed. Larger studies are needed.Read Morernrn