Nutritional Supplements for Diabetics

Recommendations On "Safe" Nutritional Products for Diabetics

In recent months, the customer service team at Power Nutrition has seen an increase from individuals challenged with diabetes looking for recommendations on “safe” nutrition products.

With the prevalence of diabetes on the rise, currently 25.8 million Americans (Site ADA Fact Sheet Number 1/26/2011), we expect to see these questions more frequently. While it is clear some products are better suited for diabetics than others, let me preface this article with a disclaimer that the information herein is not intended to treat any form of diabetes or other diseases and any suggestions or recommendations should always first be addressed with your healthcare providers (specifically your primary care physicians and nephrologists) before any products are consumed.

Type 2 Diabetes Nutritional Supplements Frequently Asked Questions

Here then are a couple of the most frequently asked questions we’ve received at PowerNutrition.com from individuals with Type 2 diabetes looking to use nutrition supplements while fitness training and eating healthy.

What is the best protein supplement for someone with diabetes?

The simple answer is a whey protein isolate or low in sugar or other carbohydrates is optimal. Great products that meet this nutritional profile include, Gaspari Nutrition IntraPro, Nature's Best IsoPure Zero Carb, BSN Syntha-6, Dymatize Elite, and Myogenix Myo-Whey Deluxe are great choices. Type 2 diabetics have varying degrees of insulin resistance and/or insulin dependency that may require careful or limited consumption of carbohydrates altogether. It is also critical to note, that proteinuria (protein in the urine) is also a marker for kidney failure and increased levels of protein consumption in the diet may be reflected in this manner. Those with severe Type 2 diabetes or any degree of kidney damage should refrain from taking protein supplements altogether unless approved by your healthcare authority.

I'm pretty healthy and would like to pack on some muscle, should I take a weightgainer?

Refer to the previous question. Although the quality of weight/mass gainers has evolved significantly since the early days of sports nutrition supplements, generally these products contain too much refined and other sugars in relation to the protein and fat profile. There are, however, some good mass gainers available on today's market though. For those who are insistent on taking such products, BSN True Mass, Myogenix Aftershock Mass, Gaspari Nutrition Real Mass may be the best options.

Is it okay to take creatine by itself or in a low-carb product?

Although creatine does not seem to effect blood sugar levels and low sugar formulations the simple answer is "no" The reason for this is creatinine (a waste product of the body's processing of creatine) is a surrogate marker for kidney failure. This means your healthcare provider will be looking at your creatinine levels each time they do a laboratory blood review, Simply stated, the more creatine you consume, the greater the levels of the by-product creatinine will be presented in your labs. The obvious result is that your labs may represent a significant level of kidney failure when it may not exist at all. Ultimately, our view is the potential risk here for diabetics is simply not worth any benefits one may receive with creatine supplementation.

For further information and nutritional recommendations please visit the American Diabetes Association website or your local chapter of the American Diabetes Association.