Consider picking up these supplements on your next shopping trip.
Sleep management and diabetes management are two incredibly important and far-reaching health topics for American adults. It’s essential to create a plan that includes lifestyle aspects and natural aids like supplements with guidance from your health-care practitioner.
Here are some of the many supplements currently making headlines for sleep and diabetes and readily available at your local natural health retailer.
Diabetes management
Approximately 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year.
L-serine
We don’t often hear much about L-serine, which is classified as a nonessential amino acid. But its time in the spotlight might finally be here. Recent research is showing that L-serine plays a role in diabetes management, being positively correlated with insulin secretion and sensitivity. In a 2019 study, Danish researchers concluded that “L-serine should be considered as an emerging therapeutic option in diabetes,” although they acknowledged that more research needs to be done.
Zinc
For a little while now, we’ve been hearing about a connection between diabetes and low zinc status, but there hasn’t yet been much research about the effects of supplementation. However, a 2019 review and meta-analysis concluded that key glycemic measures are significantly reduced by zinc supplementation. It’s a hopeful conclusion that may lead to zinc supplementation as an adjunct therapy for preventing or managing diabetes.
Resveratrol
The famed antioxidant found in grape skins (and red wine!), resveratrol is also available in supplement form. In a 2019 study, patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease were given either resveratrol supplements or placebos. The group that received resveratrol experienced reduced fasting glucose, increased insulin sensitivity, and increased HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels.
Sleep management
An estimated one-third of us don’t get enough sleep, which has negative health consequences.
Melatonin, magnesium, and B-vitamin complex
A combination supplement containing magnesium, melatonin, and several B vitamins was found to benefit insomnia regardless of the cause, according to a small 2019 study of 60 participants that lasted three months. The participants were divided into two groups, one that received the supplement and one that received a placebo.
Rice bran extract
A recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-week study involving 50 participants was conducted to see if rice bran extract supplementation could help with sleep disturbances. Although more research needs to be done, scientists discovered that supplementation led to decreased sleep latency, increased sleep time, and improved sleep efficiency.
Micronutrients
Emerging research is uncovering a relationship between inadequate intake of micronutrients (such as vitamins and minerals) and sleep conditions. Intake can come from food or supplement sources. Interestingly, there were differences in micronutrients between the sexes: Women had a higher prevalence of inadequate intake for calcium, magnesium, and several vitamins, while men had an inadequate intake of vitamin D.
