There is a supplement for everything now-a-days. From stomach problems to mineral imbalances, there is always a supplement that you can take to help your health.
But what about a1c levels? Are there any supplements that you can take to lower your a1c levels?
Well, in fact, yes, there are. There are actually quite a few different supplements that you can take to lower your a1c levels.
In this guide, we’ll be exploring these supplements to find out which are the best for lowering your a1c levels.
So, if you want to find out more, keep on reading!
What Are A1C Levels?
Before we take a look at what supplements you can take to lower your A1C levels, let’s take a look at exactly what a1c levels are. Well, a1c levels are something that are measured by a test.
This test is often done as part of your standard blood tests, and that is because a1c levels measure what is in your blood.
Your a1c levels are measured by an a1c test. This test takes a look at your blood to measure the hemoglobin proteins within it.
Specifically, this test looks at the hemoglobin proteins to measure what percentage of them have become coated with sugar. When hemoglobin proteins become coated with sugar, they struggle to do their job.
But what exactly are hemoglobin proteins supposed to do?
Hemoglobin proteins have the very important job of transporting oxygen. Hemoglobin proteins are found within red blood cells, so it makes sense that they play a vital role in transporting oxygen.
If you have high a1c levels, this means that your body has poor blood sugar control. This increases your risk of diabetes and diabetes-related complications.
Normal a1c levels would be below 5.7%, so anything about this would be considered “increased”. Anything between 5.7 and 6.4% would be considered “pre-diabetic”, and anything higher than 6.4% would be considered diabetic.
What Supplements Can I Take To Lower My A1C Levels?
Being told you are diabetic, or even pre-diabetic can be incredibly worrying. Being diabetic really can be life-changing, and it might result in you having to follow a different diet, or live a different lifestyle.
So, as soon as you discover that your a1c levels are high, you will probably find yourself searching for ways to reduce your a1c levels.
As I mentioned earlier, there are actually quite a few different supplements that you can take to help lower your a1c levels. So without further ado, let’s take a look at what they are.
Probiotics
First up, we have probiotics. Probiotics are typically taken to resolve damage to the bacteria in your gut, so you might be confused about what this has to do with blood sugar levels.
Probiotics lowering your a1c levels is actually a very pleasant side effect. Many studies that have been done using probiotics have found that, while helping your gut, probiotics also help to reduce a1c levels.
In fact, one study found that blood sugar levels were reduced by 0.53% in comparison to those taking a placebo.
Probiotics containing more than 1 type of gut bacteria are even better at reducing blood sugar levels. However, unless you are also experiencing gut issues, probiotics wouldn’t be our first choice for lowering a1c levels.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon supplements are great if you have increased a1c levels. Instead of solely targeting your a1c levels, cinnamon helps to reduce them by helping with blood-sugar control.
Studies have shown that cinnamon supplements are really helpful for those who are pre-diabetic. Taking cinnamon supplements each morning with breakfast reduced blood sugar levels by more than 8% in comparison to placebo.
This is because cinnamon works with your insulin to reduce blood sugar levels.
Some cinnamon supplements use ground cinnamon, others use whole cinnamon, but they tend to do the same thing. So you can take whichever supplement you prefer, and they should have the same effect on your blood sugar levels.
Vitamin D
If you have type 2 diabetes, then vitamin-D deficiency is a risk factor.
A lot of people who have type 2 diabetes also have a vitamin-D deficiency, and studies have shown that improving the vitamin-D deficiency also helped the increased blood sugar levels.
Vitamin D is thought to help a1c levels so significantly because it works with the cells in your pancreas. The pancreas produces insulin, and it is thought that vitamin-D helps the function of the pancreas.
So, theoretically, it is possible that taking vitamin-D could help your diabetes by encouraging the body to produce more insulin.
Of course, it is possible for you to be diabetic without having a vitamin-D deficiency. So, it is important to bear this in mind before you start taking vitamin-D supplements to treat your increased a1c levels.
Magnesium
Finally, we have to talk about magnesium. Just like with vitamin-D, magnesium is really thought to help those suffering with type 2 diabetes. This is because magnesium is involved in normal insulin secretion, so taking it will help your body produce insulin.
There is no guarantee that magnesium supplements will lower your a1c levels, however, a lot of studies have shown great results when doing this.
In comparison to the placebo, magnesium supplements reduced blood sugar levels by around 3%.
Like all good supplements, magnesium supplements help your body to resolve the problem. By helping your body produce insulin, this will naturally reduce your a1c levels, which is why these supplements work.
Summary
In conclusion, there are lots of different supplements that you can take to reduce your a1c levels. As you can see in this guide, there are tons of different options that you have available to you, so there are plenty of things to explore if you discover that your a1c levels are higher than they should be.
Being told that you have increased a1c levels is incredibly daunting, but as you can see, there are lots of things that you can take to help bring them down.
Supplements are becoming ever more popular as people turn away from always using western medicine and research more into holistic approaches. But is that wise?
Hi, my name is Arlo Reiner and I have been in the supplementary business for almost seven years.
Before that, I trained as a doctor of general medicine and worked in many hospitals. I have cared for and treated many patients, and I was always intrigued by the world of supplements.
