The review of trials identifies positive effects of these nutrients on various outcome measures relating to insulin resistance and cardiovascular factors .
A majority of the trials found a positive effect of chromium on fasting plasma glucose .
Isoflavones were found to have a positive effect on insulin resistance and cardiovascular outcome measures , but only when combined with soy proteins .
Vitamin E is reported to reduce oxidative stress at levels of 200 mg day(-1 ) or more
The role of nutritional supplementation is of increasing interest with regard to ocular disease .
R and omised controlled trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of supplementation for age-related macular degeneration , and formulations are now being developed for use by people with diabetes and diabetic retinopathy .
The aim of this review was to synthesis e the evidence for use of nutritional supplementation in type 2 diabetes .
The potential role of alpha-lipoic acid , chromium , folic acid , isoflavones , magnesium , Pycnogenol , selenium , vitamin C , vitamin E , and zinc in the treatment of type 2 diabetes is discussed .
Oral vitamin C reduces arterial stiffness and platelet aggregation in humans.
Atherosclerosis is associated with stiffening of conduit arteries and increased platelet activation , partly as a result of reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide ( NO ) , a mediator that normally has a variety of protective effects on blood vessels and platelets . Increased levels of oxygen free radicals are a feature of atherosclerosis that contributes to reduced NO bioavailability and might lead to increased arterial stiffness and platelet activation .  Vitamin C is a dietary antioxidant that inactivates oxygen free radicals . This placebo-controlled , double-blind , r and omized study was design ed to establish whether acute oral administration of vitamin C ( 2 g ) , would reduce arterial stiffness and in vitro platelet aggregation in healthy male volunteers .  Plasma vitamin C concentrations increased from 42+/-8 to 104+/-8 microM at 6 h after oral administration , and were associated with a significant reduction in augmentation index , a measure of arterial stiffness ( by 9.6+/-3.0 % ; p = 0.016 ) , and ADP-induced platelet aggregation ( by 35+/-13 % ; p = 0.046 ) . There was no change in these parameters after placebo . Vitamin C , therefore , appears to have beneficial effects , even in healthy subjects . The mechanism responsible is likely to involve protection of NO from inactivation by oxygen free radicals , but this requires confirmation . If similar effects are observed in patients with atherosclerosis or risk factors , vitamin C supplementation might prove an effective therapy in cardiovascular disease
The review of trials identifies positive effects of these nutrients on various outcome measures relating to insulin resistance and cardiovascular factors .
A majority of the trials found a positive effect of chromium on fasting plasma glucose .
Isoflavones were found to have a positive effect on insulin resistance and cardiovascular outcome measures , but only when combined with soy proteins .
Vitamin E is reported to reduce oxidative stress at levels of 200 mg day(-1 ) or more
The role of nutritional supplementation is of increasing interest with regard to ocular disease .
R and omised controlled trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of supplementation for age-related macular degeneration , and formulations are now being developed for use by people with diabetes and diabetic retinopathy .
The aim of this review was to synthesis e the evidence for use of nutritional supplementation in type 2 diabetes .
The potential role of alpha-lipoic acid , chromium , folic acid , isoflavones , magnesium , Pycnogenol , selenium , vitamin C , vitamin E , and zinc in the treatment of type 2 diabetes is discussed .