Vitamin  D has recently emerged as an incredibly powerful vitamin that plays a role in so many parts of the body that it shouldn’t be called a vitamin at all. It really is a steroid pre-cursor hormone and is vital to proper body function. The role it plays in auto-immune disease is important to note for Type 1 Diabetics. But it also has an insulin production effect as well that could be great for Type 2 Diabetics.

There is evidence that all diabetics should get their Vitamin D level checked and ensure adequate levels of vitamin d throughout the year, especially in the winter months. Here is an incredible resource that keeps up to date with all of the Vitamin D studies that relate to Diabetes, both type 1 and type 2.

Vitamin D Council’s Diabetes Page

I would suggest to beg your doctor for a Vitamin D test or to simply order one endorsed by the Vitamin D Council’s website- Vitamin D Home Test Kit.

Now that Obama has changed the US stance on stem cell research, we have more hope than ever that Type 1 Diabetes will finally start to recieve the correct kind of research that will lead to an all out cure.

Denise Faustman is my favorite Type 1 Diabetes researcher and is now in Phase I clinical trials in humans, testing out her BCG Vaccine model that worked to reverse long standing Type I Diabetes in Mice.

Denise will be speaking at Boston University on Science Day, March 26th at 1PM on Boston University’s Medical Campus.

From Medical News Today.

Perhaps one of the most promising areas of research for long time Type 1 Diabetics lies with Denise Faustman and her lab at the Massachusetts General Hospital. She is working on a methodology for treating long standing Type 1 Diabetes through an innovative, and controversial method- by retraining the bodies immune system.

Denise released research years ago showing that her method is able to reverse Type 1 Diabetes in mice, which was later verified by independent labs.

She is finally beginning her human trials! Another year, and we should see some results.

The great part about Denise’s research is that she is looking at curing the disease in people who have had it for many years. Most new trials that are happening right now are for newly diagnosed Type 1 Diabetics who still have some pancreatic function, as opposed to someone with long standing Diabetes.

It is great to have hope! In the meantime, I will stay healthy with my supplement regime and hope for the best.

Two separate studies done on Tai Chi were shown to effect blood sugar levels. Each involved around 30 subjects and 30 controls.

The findings are not too suprising, as moderate exercise is of course beneficial to Diabetics, but it is good to see the research.

The BBC has a good writeup on this recent study.

An interesting news article is getting some coverage in the news about Vitamin D and its relation to Type 1 Diabetes in a new study done in the UK.

The study was done in Manchester at the St. Mary’s Hospital for Women and Children. The effect was dose-dependent and should certainly be of interest to anyone with young children who are at risk for developing Type 1 Diabetes.

The BBC has a good writeup on the piece- Vitamin D “Cuts Risk of Diabetes”.

A recent article I came across has some interesting information about two important minerals for Diabetics- Magnesium and Chromium.

I have an extensive review of the research surrounding Chromium, but I have not done any research on Magnesium yet. It appears that studies are associating low levels of Magnesium with insulin utilization problems and Type 2 Diabetes. Read the study – Serum zinc, chromium and magnesium levels in Type 2 diabetes, published in 2006.

The complete article I found is here.

Magnesium appears to be an important mineral and I am going to do more research into this mineral for Diabetes.

An inexpensive anti-inflammatory drug called Salsalate could help prevent Type 2 Diabetes by lower blood sugar levels and reducing inflamation, which is an important indicator of Type 2 Diabetes.

The study  is in the February issue of Diabetes Care entitled – Salsalate Improves Glycemia and Inflammatory Parameters in Obese Young Adults. The study examined inflammatory markers such as C-peptide levels and glucose levels in 20 obese patients for a month.

The results look pretty clear- a reduction in the fasting glucose tolerance test, reduced C-peptide levels, and improved insulin sensitivity. Further research is neccessary to see how helpful this drug could be in the long term, but this study certainly looks promising.

Research studies have demonstrated that several genes of insulin signaling pathway are involved in the effect of Vanadium treatment of hyperglycemia. (Ref 1)

It has been found that the poly oxovanadium complex exhibits potent antidiabetic activity in diabetes type I and type 2 in mice. (Ref 2)

Studies indicate that the oral vanadyl acetyl acetonate is well tolerated and benefits diabetic osteopathy of rats and improves diabetes related bone disorders particularly by improving the diabetic state. (Ref 3)

Vanadium is a well known anti-diabetic agent which mimics most of the actions of insulin on mature adipocytes.  Studies (Ref 4) show a new dimension in vanadium treatment for diabetes due to its novel role in adipogenensis.

Bis oxovanadium (IV) is a new orally active anti-diabetic organic vanadium complex and it has anti-diabetic and insulin-sensitizing effects in diabetic rats, exhibiting the potential to be developed as a new therapeutic agent for type 2 diabetes. (Ref 5)  

Bis oxovanadium (IV) is a safe and potent agent for diabetes treatment because it is able to improve carbohydrate metabolism and to reduce oxidative stress. (Ref 6)

Vanadyl sulfate and taurine are two promising agents in the treatment of diabetes related to their antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipemic, and hyperinsulinemic effects.  (Ref 7)

An oxovanadium complex has been tested for bioactivity as an insulin enhancing agent and results showed that the complex at specific doses could lower the blood glucose level in STZ-diabetic rats and improve the response to an oral glucose challenge. (Ref

Oxovanadium is proposed to be an orally active complex for treating type I diabetes and type 2 diabetes in animals. (Ref 9)

A review has been done regarding vanadium’s glucose-enhancing potential, its biodistribution, and biomolecular transformation and its mechanism of action in diabetes treatment. (Ref 10)

The diabetes-associated biochemical and morphological alterations in Golgi complexes were investigated and results showed that sodium metavandate affected diabetic rat liver Golgi complexes. (Ref 11)

Insulin-mimetic vanadyl-poly complex is proposed as a novel drug delivery system for treating type 1 diabetic animals and results showed improvement in diabetes as seen by results on oral glucose tolerance test, HbA(1c) levels, and blood pressure. (Ref 13, 14)

Research data indicate immense hypoglycemic activity and reduced toxicity of oxovanadium complex. (Ref 15)

Treatment with Vanadium, a representative of class of anti-diabetic compounds alleviates hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia.  Oral administration of vanadium compounds in animal models and humans does not cause clinical symptoms of hypoglycemia, a common problem for diabetic patients with insulin treatment. (Ref 16)

Studies have showed that vanadyl sulfate trihydrate can inhibit c AMP dependent protein kinase. (Ref 17) 

Among several metals, Vanadium has emerged as an extremely potent agent with insulin-like properties.  These insulin-like properties have been demonstrated in isolated cells, tissues, different animal models of type 1 an dtype2 diabetes as well as on a limited number of human subjects.  Insulin signal mimicry is suggested as a mechanism for the insulin-like effects of Vanadium.

1. Effect of vanadate on gene expression of the insulin signaling pathway in skeletal muscle of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. J Biol Inorg Chem. 2007 Nov; 12(8):1265-73. Epub 2007 Sep 14.
   

2. Amelioration of Hyperglycemia and Metabolic Syndromes in Type 2 Diabetic KKA(y) Mice by Poly (gamma-glutamic acid) oxovanadium (IV) Complex. ChemMedChem. 2007 Nov;2(11):1607-12.
   

3. Effects on the bones of vanadyl acetylacetonate by oral administration: a comparison study in diabetic rats. J Bone Miner Metab. 2007; 25(5):293-301. Epub 2007 Aug 25.
   

4. Adipogenic action of vanadium: a new dimension in treating diabetes. Biometals. 2007 Aug 2; [Epub ahead of print]
   

5. Effects of bis(alpha-furancarboxylato)oxovanadium(IV) on glucose metabolism in fat-fed/streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Eur J Pharmacol. 2007 Oct 31; 572(2-3):213-9. Epub 2007 Jun 19.
   

6. Bis (quercetinato) oxovanadium IV Reverses Metabolic Changes in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice. Rev Diabet Stud. 2007 Spring;4(1):33-43. Epub 2007 May 10.
   

7. Vanadyl sulfate, taurine, and combined vanadyl sulfate and taurine treatments in diabetic rats: effects on the oxidative and antioxidative systems. Arch Med Res. 2007 Apr; 38(3):276-83. Epub 2007 Jan 22.
   

8. In vivo insulin-mimetic activity of [N, N’-1, 3-propyl-bis (salicyladimine)]oxovanadium(IV). Eur J Med Chem. 2007 Jun; 42(6):817-22. Epub 2007 Jan 12.
   

9. Improvement of hyperglycaemia and metabolic syndromes in type 2 diabetic KKAy mice by oral treatment with [meso-tetrakis (4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrinato] oxovanadium (IV) (4- ) complex. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2007 Mar; 59(3):437-44. 
   

10. Vanadium in diabetes: 100 years from Phase 0 to Phase I. J Inorg Biochem. 2006 Dec; 100(12):1925-35. Epub 2006 Sep 7.
    

11. Sodium metavanadate affected control and streptozotocin-diabetic rat liver golgi complexes. Pol J Pathol. 2006; 57(2):91-7. 
    

12. Follow-up studies on glycosylated flavonoids and their complexes with vanadium: their anti-hyperglycemic potential role in diabetes. Chem Biol Interact. 2006 Nov 7; 163(3):177-91. Epub 2006 Aug 12.
    

13. A novel drug delivery system for type 1 diabetes: insulin-mimetic vanadyl-poly (gamma-glutamic acid) complex. J Inorg Biochem. 2006 Sep; 100(9):1535-46. Epub 2006 May 24.
    

14. Bis (allixinato) oxovanadium (IV) complex is a potent antidiabetic agent: studies on structure-activity relationship for a series of hydroxypyrone-vanadium complexes. J Med Chem. 2006 Jun 1; 49(11):3251-6.
    

15. Reduction of oxidative stress induced vanadium toxicity by complexing with a flavonoid, quercetin: a pragmatic therapeutic approach for diabetes. Biometals. 2006 Dec; 19(6):685-93. Epub 2006 May 16.
    

16. Diabetes-altered gene expression in rat skeletal muscle corrected by oral administration of vanadyl sulfate. Physiol Genomics. 2006 Aug 16; 26(3):192-201. Epub 2006 May 9.
    

17. Inhibition of cyclic AMP dependent protein kinase by vanadyl sulfate. J Biol Inorg Chem. 2006 Apr; 11(3):379-88. Epub 2006 Feb 28.
    

18. Insulin signal mimicry as a mechanism for the insulin-like effects of vanadium. Cell Biochem Biophys. 2006; 44(1):73-81.

Chromium is an essential mineral that appears to have beneficial role in regulation of insulin action, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Evidence shows that chromium may facilitate insulin signaling and supplementation with chromium may improve systemic insulin sensitivity. Supplementation with chromium picolinate, a stable and highly bioavailable form of chromium has been shown to reduce insulin resistance and to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

The research study in reference 2 suggests that chromium supplementation can lower the risk of vascular inflammation in diabetes. Results indicated that metabolic disorders such as type2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity are associated with variations in serum levels and poor delivery of certain mineral elements like magnesium, copper, zinc, chromium and nickel. (Ref 3)

Research study showed that chromium picolinate has marked beneficial effects against macrovascular complications and its potential role in diabetes management. (Ref 4)

Dyslipidemia, often found in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, plays an important role in the process of cardiometabolic syndrome. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was done to evaluate the effect of chromium picolinate and biotin on lipid and lipoprotein levels. Data suggests that intervention with chromium picolinate biotin improves cardiometabolic risk factors. (Ref 5, 9)

Chromium yeast supplementation can be considered to improve carbohydrate and lipid metabolism amongst human patients featuring type 2 diabetes mellitus. (Ref 6)

Another research suggests that chromium niacinate supplementation may be useful in reducing vascular inflammation and the risk of CVD in diabetes. (Ref 7)

Chromium supplementation significantly improved glycemia in diabetic patients as per a systemic review of the effect of chromium supplementation on glucose metabolism and lipid levels. (Ref 8)

Glucose intolerance (type 2 diabetes mellitus) is an important factor that disturbs Chromium metabolism. (Ref 10)

Data supports the safety and therapeutic value of Chromium picolinate for the management of cholesterolemia and hyperglycemia in subjects with diabetes. (Ref 12)

According to a pilot study in diabetes type 2 patients chromium/biotin supplementation may represent an effective adjunctive nutritional therapy to people with poorly controlled diabetes with the potential for improving lipid metabolism. (Ref 13)

Results of study in reference 14 indicated that the effect of decreasing blood sugar by chromium complexes of D-glucosaminic acid was comparable to that of chromium complex currently used worldwide. (Ref 14)

Chromium picolinate supplementation in subjects with type2 diabetes who are taking sulfonylurea agents significantly improves insulin sensitivity and glucose control, and chromium picolinate supplementation significantly attenuated body weight and visceral fat accumulation compared with placebo group. (Ref 15)

Intake of milk powder containing 40 mcg/d of chromium for 16 weeks in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus resulted in lowering of FPG, fasting insulin, and improvement of metabolic insulin control in male patients. (Ref 16)

Chromium included early in the complex therapy is beneficial in the reduction of the degree of insulin resistance. (Ref 17)

Data from research study suggest that supplementation of well-controlled type 2 diabetes with chromium enriched yeast is safe and can result in improvements in blood glucose variables and oxidative stress. (Ref 18)

1. Chromium in metabolic and cardiovascular disease. Horm Metab Res. 2007 Oct; 39(10):743-51.

1. Effect of chromium niacinate and chromium picolinate supplementation on lipid peroxidation, TNF-alpha, IL-6, CRP, glycated hemoglobin, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels in blood of streptozotocin-treated diabetic rats. Free Radic Biol Med. 2007 Oct 15; 43(8):1124-31. Epub 2007 May 18.

1. Plasma mineral content in type-2 diabetic patients and their association with the metabolic syndrome. Ann Nutr Metab. 2007; 51(5):402-6. Epub 2007 Sep 11.

1. Effect of chromium on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in a rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus: the fat-fed, streptozotocin-treated rat. Metabolism. 2007 Sep; 56(9):1233-40.

1. Combination of chromium and biotin improves coronary risk factors in hypercholesterolemic type 2 diabetes mellitus: a placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized clinical trial. J Cardiometab Syndr. 2007 Spring; 2(2):91-7.

1. Chromium yeast supplementation improves fasting plasma glucose and LDL-cholesterol in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2006 Nov; 76(6):391-7.

1. High glucose and ketosis (acetoacetate) increases, and chromium niacinate decreases, IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 secretion and oxidative stress in U937 monocytes. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2007 Oct;9(10):1581-90.

1. Effect of chromium supplementation on glucose metabolism and lipids: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Diabetes Care. 2007 Aug; 30(8):2154-63. Epub 2007 May 22.

1. Chromium picolinate and biotin combination improves glucose metabolism in treated, uncontrolled overweight to obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2007 May 16; 24(1):41-51 [Epub ahead of print]

1. Longitudinal hair chromium profiles of elderly subjects with normal glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism. 2007 Jan; 56(1):94-104.

1. Chromium picolinate supplementation attenuates body weight gain and increases insulin sensitivity in subjects with type 2 diabetes: response to Martin et al. Diabetes Care. 2006 Dec; 29(12):2764; author reply 2764-5.

1. Clinical studies on chromium picolinate supplementation in diabetes mellitus–a review. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2006 Dec;8(6):677-87.

1. The effect of chromium picolinate and biotin supplementation on glycemic control in poorly controlled patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized trial. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2006 Dec;8(6):636-43.

1. Chromium (III) complexes of D-glucosaminic acid and their effect on decreasing blood sugar in vivo. Arch Pharm (Weinheim). 2006 Sep; 339(9):527-30.

1. Chromium picolinate supplementation attenuates body weight gain and increases insulin sensitivity in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2006 Aug; 29(8):1826-32.

1. The influence of chromium chloride-containing milk to glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Metabolism. 2006 Jul; 55(7):923-7.

1. Effect of chromium on the insulin resistance in patients with type II diabetes mellitus. Folia Med (Plovdiv). 2005; 47(3-4):59-62.

1. Influence of chromium-enriched yeast on blood glucose and insulin variables, blood lipids, and markers of oxidative stress in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2006 Mar; 109(3):215-30.

Gymnema sylvestre is emerging as a potential treatment for the management of diabetes. The phyto-constituents of Gymnema sylvestre are used in the treatment of diabetes and obesity (ref 2). Polyherbal formulations containing aqueous extracts of Gymnema sylvestre and other herbs show hypoglycemic activity in diabetic rats as well as reversed other diabetes complications (ref 3). The chemistry and pharmacology of Gymnema sylvestre has been reviewed based on research papers and patent literature.

Gymnema sylvestre preparations have profound action on modulation of taste, particularly sweet sensations. It is used in treatment of diabetes mellitus and in food additives against obesity and caries. Anti-allergic, antiviral, lipid lowering and other effects have also been reported (ref 6).

Research on crude saponin fraction and five triterpene glycosides derived from methanol extract of leaves of Gymnema sylvestre in diabetic rats indicate that insulin-releasing action of gymnemic acid IV may contribute to the antihyperglycemic effect of leaves of Gymnema sylvestre. Gymnemic acid IV may be an anti-obese and antihyperglycemic pro-drug (ref 7).

Therapeutic potential of Gymnema sylvestre for treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) has been examined the results confirm the stimulatory effect of Gymnema sylvestre on insulin release and indicate that Gymnema sylvestre acts by increasing cell permeability, rather than stimulating exocytosis by regulated pathways (ref 8).

In ref 12 studies on diabetic patients to study the anti diabetic effect of a leaf extract from Gymnema sylvestre in NIDDM patients showed a significant reduction in blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin and glycosylated plasma proteins, and conventional drug dosage could be decreased. Data suggest that the beta cells may be regenerated/repaired in Type 2 diabetic patients on GS4 (Gymnema sylvestre aqueous extract) supplementation. GS4 therapy appears to enhance endogenous insulin, possibly by regeneration / revitalization of residual beta cells in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) as suggested by research in ref 13 and 14.

Effect of Gymnema sylvestre on glucose homeostasis in rats suggested the usefulness of Gymnema sylvestre in the treatment of certain classes of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

1. Gymnema sylvestre for Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review.

   J Altern Complement Med. 2007 Nov; 13(9):977-84.

1. Extraction and quantification of gymnemic acids through gymnemagenin from callus cultures of Gymnema sylvestre.

   Phytochem Anal. 2006 Nov; 17(6):409-13.

1. Effect of Dianex, a herbal formulation on experimentally induced diabetes mellitus.

   Phytother Res. 2005 May; 19(5):409-15.

1. Advances in the study on hypoglycemic constituents of Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.)

   Zhong Yao Cai. 2003 Apr; 26(4):305-7. Review. Chinese.

1. Effects of Inula racemosa root and Gymnema sylvestre leaf extracts in the regulation of corticosteroid induced diabetes mellitus: involvement of thyroid hormones.

   Pharmazie. 2003 Jun; 58(6):413-5.

1. An overview on the advances of Gymnema sylvestre: chemistry, pharmacology and patents.

   Pharmazie. 2003 Jan; 58(1):5-12. Review.

1. Antihyperglycemic effects of gymnemic acid IV, a compound derived from Gymnema sylvestre leaves in streptozotocin-diabetic mice.

   J Asian Nat Prod Res. 2000;2(4):321-7.

1. Gymnema sylvestre stimulates insulin release in vitro by increased membrane permeability.

   J Endocrinol. 1999 Nov; 163(2):207-12.

1. Gymnema sylvestre.

   Altern Med Rev. 1999 Feb;4(1):46-7.

1. Medicinal foodstuffs. IX. The inhibitors of glucose absorption from the leaves of Gymnema sylvestre R. BR. (Asclepiadaceae): structures of gymnemosides a and b. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 1997 Oct; 45(10):1671-6.

1. Effects of seishin-renshi-in and Gymnema sylvestre on insulin resistance in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

   Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 1995 Jul; 29(1):11-7.

1. Antidiabetic effect of a leaf extract from Gymnema sylvestre in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients.

   J Ethnopharmacol. 1990 Oct; 30(3):295-300.

1. Use of Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract in the control of blood glucose in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

   J Ethnopharmacol. 1990 Oct; 30(3):281-94.

1. Possible regeneration of the islets of Langerhans in streptozotocin-diabetic rats given Gymnema sylvestre leaf extracts.

   J Ethnopharmacol. 1990 Oct; 30(3):265-79.

1. Effect of Gymnema sylvestre, R.Br. on glucose homeostasis in rats.

   Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 1990 May-Jun; 9(2):143-8.

1. Hypoglycaemic activity of an indigenous drug (Gymnema sylvestre, ‘Gurmar’) in normal and diabetic persons.

   Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1983 Jul-Sep; 27(3):257-8.