Helpful Supplements
*Calcium
We all know that we need calcium to prevent osteoporosis and to build strong bones and teeth. But you can add glucose intolerance to the list of problems that could indicate a calcium deficiency. With magnesium, calcium helps in regulating blood sugar levels, and in metabolizing fats. Hypoglycemics often burn sugar for energy rather than fat, so calcium can help by improving fat metabolism. It's good for your digestion, too.
Other benefits of getting enough calcium are improved colon health, stress reduction, and faster healing (calcium activates Vitamin K). Calcium is also needed for absorption of Vitamins A, C and B6.
You can increase your calcium intake by adding milk, molasses, nuts, dandelions, tofu, shellfish, eggs, wheat, collards or legumes to your diet.
Dosage and Safety
RDA 1000 mg/day: Remember to take your multivitamin-you need Vitamin D for proper absorption of calcium. Some of the drugs that block the absorption of calcium from your food are cortisone, aspirin, chemotherapeutic agents, and tetracyclines.
If you are diabetic, you should check with your doctor before supplementing with calcium, since some diabetics have been found to have too much calcium in their cells.
*Chromium
Chromium is the most important supplement for helping to improve hypoglycemia and insulin resistance in general. Numerous studies have shown that insulin just doesn't work without chromium, and there is evidence that chromium helps both hypoglycemics and diabetics. In addition, it may protect against stroke and heart attack by lowering elevated blood cholesterol and tryglyceride levels. It promotes weight loss because of improved fat burning, and helps convert fat to muscle.
The crucial nature of chromium in animal health has been known since the 1950's, but human evidence only became available in the 1970's as doctors treated patients with intravenous nutrition. Some of these long-term patients developed high blood sugar levels even though they weren't diabetic. When chromium was added to the nutrition mix, these patients quickly improved, and their insulin injections were no longer necessary.
Studies have shown that simple sugars prompt chromium to be discharged in the urine-one source suggests that up to 20% more chromium leaves the body-so removing sugar from your diet is as important as adding chromium and both should be done together. Increasing your chromium may also decrease your sugar cravings, so supplementing with chromium may help you cut down your sugar consumption.
You especially need chromium if you are diabetic, hypoglycemic or you eat a highly refined carbohydrate diet. Seniors, too, should supplement with chromium, since the body's absorption of nutrients isn't as effective as it is in young people. When you are down with the flu or cold, extra chromium may be necessary-blood chromium levels drop when you have virus infection.
Chromium occurs naturally in organ meats, broccoli, mushrooms, whole grains, processed meats, peppers, milk, cheese, eggs and Brewer's Yeast. Most of us don't get even the 50mcg minimum from our diets, so supplementation would be a benefit, whether hypoglycemic or not. One source even suggests that refinement of grains destroys most of the chromium, so even if you eat plenty of grains, you may not be getting as much chromium as you think.
Dosage and Safety
RDA 200mcg/day: Make sure that you take chromium picolinate or chromium GTF (Glucose Tolerance Factor), not chromium salts. Chromium appears to be non-toxic, even in high doses. Some hypoglycemics have reported that they get maximum benefit by taking their chromium just before they eat.