Helpful Supplements
*Biotin
Biotin, part of the B Complex, is essential for cell growth, muscle tone and healthy skin and hair. Biotin also helps in the production of enzymes necessary for metabolism of sugars, fats and proteins. A deficiency of biotin results in a deficiency of glucose for energy. Supplementing with biotin can enhance your insulin sensitivity and improve the use of glucose in your liver. Vitamin B absorption depends on adequate biotin.
Dosage: RDA 300mcg
Biotin has been tested for toxicity and there are no known toxic side effects even at large doses.
Brewer's Yeast
Brewer's yeast appears on many lists of supplements recommended for the treatment of hypoglycemia. One Danish study reported that people with hypoglycemia showed improvement in their symptoms after taking 2 tbsp. of brewer's yeast every day for one month.
Brewer's yeast contains chromium plus many B vitamins, amino acids and easily absorbable minerals. It also contains all of the essential amino acids, 14 minerals and 17 vitamins plus zinc, iron, phosphorus and selenium. It is also a good source of protein and you can add it to soups and stews to increase their nutritional value. This is especially important if you are vegetarian because brewer's yeast includes many of the vitamins and nutrients that are generally found only in meat. Brewer's Yeast also aids in digestion because it encourages growth of good bacteria in your intestines.
Dosage and Safety
2 Tablespoons per day: Brewer's Yeast is available in tablets, flakes or powder. Make sure you have brewer's yeast (used for making beer) and not baking yeast - it's not the same thing! Get your brewer's yeast from any good health food store.
Many sources caution against the use of brewer's yeast if you have candidasis (yeast overgrowth) or if you suffer frequent yeast infections, oral thrush or athlete's foot. New information suggests that brewers yeast will not aggravate any of these conditions, but if you think it may be right for you, be sure to discuss it with your health care provider before taking it.
Don't use brewer's yeast if you have intestinal disease, you are allergic to yeast, or if your immune system is impaired. And don't exceed the daily dosage on the product label. It's OK to use brewer's yeast if you are pregnant, but whether pregnant or not, you may want to start with a small dosage, say 1 teaspoon or less per day, since brewer's yeast can cause bloating or gas until your system becomes used to it. You can work up slowly to 1-2 tablespoons of powder per day.