In a recent study, scientists found that vitamin C supplementation may help manage diabetes.
Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that affects how your body turns food into energy.
There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant).
More than 133 million Americans are living with diabetes (37.3 million) or prediabetes (96 million).
More and more studies have found that vitamin C supplementation may be an effective way to help manage diabetes.
In the current study, researchers critically reviewed the current evidence on the effects of vitamin C supplementation and its potential role in diabetes management.
They found evidence from meta-analyses of clinical trials that showed favorable effects of vitamin C on blood sugar and blood pressure control that may be clinically meaningful.
There are mixed effects of vitamin C on blood fats and blood vessel function.
However, the researchers found the current evidence is mostly of low evidence certainty.
Emerging evidence is promising for the effects of vitamin C supplementation on some diabetes complications, particularly diabetic foot ulcers.
However, there is a big lack of robust and well-designed studies exploring the effects of vitamin C as a single compound supplement on diabetes prevention and patient-important outcomes (i.e. prevention of diabetes complications).
More well-controlled studies are required to examine the possible preventative effects of vitamin C on gestational diabetes outcomes.
The team suggests that oral vitamin C doses of 500-1000 mg per day are potentially effective, safe, and affordable for many people with diabetes.
They suggest that personalization of supplementation regimens that consider factors such as vitamin C status, disease status, current blood sugar control, vitamin C intake, redox status, and genotype is important to optimize vitamin C’s health effects safely.
Finally, given the high prevalence of vitamin C deficiency in people with complications, it is recommended that vitamin C levels in the body be measured and monitored by doctors.
The research was published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine and conducted by Shaun A Mason et al.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies that flaxseed oil is more beneficial than fish oil to people with diabetes, and green tea could help reduce the death risk in diabetes.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies that blueberries strongly benefit people with metabolic syndrome, and results showing vitamin D could improve blood pressure in people with diabetes.
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