Helpful Supplements
This article lists many supplements that are suggested as useful for hypoglycemia in the literature. Please don't view this as a shopping list and fill your cart with 30 bottles of pills and powders. Instead, this section is intended to help you to have an informed conversation with your medical practitioner to decide which supplements may be right for you.
Interactions with medications you are already taking are a possibility even with well tested supplements, so always talk to your doctor before adding anything other than the basic over-the-counter vitamins and minerals. No matter what supplements you decide to add, always check labels. Don't buy supplements that contain sugar and check for the inclusion of dairy, wheat or other fillers that could cause allergic reactions.
The Recommended Daily Allowances, or RDAs, are listed where available. Canada and the USA share nutrition research committees and have harmonized RDA numbers. When you see "RDA" before a dosage, that's the Recommended Daily Allowance for both Canada and the USA. Where "RDA" doesn't appear, the dosage listed is taken from reputable nutrition catalogues. Dosages are listed with most of the supplements discussed, but in cases where RDAs haven't yet been determined dosages should be discussed with your health care provider.
Even if you do nothing else, you should take a multi-vitamin with minerals.
*B Vitamins
If you take no other vitamins, you should at least take your B Vitamins. The B Vitamins combine to improve digestion, thereby increasing your body's ability to tolerate low glucose levels. They are often billed as "anti-stress" vitamins because of their beneficial effects on the brain and nervous system. They also help improve energy and are very useful in mitigating the symptoms of perimenopause. Take your B Complex plus extra amounts of the following B Vitamins.
*B1 - Thiamine
Thiamine is important for circulation, and assists in blood formation. It is needed for healthy growth and appetite and increases production of hydrochloric acid (HCL) needed for proper digestion. Vitamin B1 also helps with the health and proper function of your brain. Symptoms that you may not be getting enough B1 are mood swings or periodic depression. In severe cases, thiamine deficiency results in Beriberi, a disease of the nervous system.
Dosage: RDA 1.5mg
Vitamin B1 can only be found in whole, unprocessed foods, so many people are deficient in thiamine. Alcohol destroys B1, and even one drink a day can produce a deficiency in some people. Sugar, stress, tobacco, coffee and surgery also destroy thiamine.