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 .
Ascorbic Acid Reduces Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness in Type 2 Diabetes
Abstract —Experimental evidence suggests that acute parenteral administration of high-dose ascorbic acid has beneficial vascular effects in type 2 diabetes . We studied the hemodynamic effects of chronic oral supplementation in this condition . Thirty patients , 45 to 70 years of age , with type 2 diabetes , were r and omly assigned in a double-blind manner to receive 500 mg ascorbic acid daily by mouth or placebo . Patients were studied at baseline and after 4 weeks of assigned treatment . The central aortic augmentation index ( AgIx ) and the time to wave reflection ( Tr ) were derived from radial artery pulse wave analysis data . AgIx and Tr were used as measures of systemic arterial stiffness and aortic stiffness , respectively . Ascorbic acid  decreased brachial systolic blood pressure from 142.1±12.6 ( SD ) to 132.3±12.1 mm Hg ( difference [ 95 % CI ] 9.9 [ 4.7 , 15.0];P < 0.01 ) , brachial diastolic pressure from 83.9±4.8 to 79.5±6.0 mm Hg ( 4.4 [ 1.8 , 7.0];P < 0.01 ) , and AgIx from 26.8±5.5 % to 22.5±6.8 % ( 4.3 [ 1.5 , 7.1];P < 0.01 ) . Tr increased from 137.1±12.6 to 143.4±9.2 ms ( −6.3 [ −10.1 , −2.5];P < 0.01 ) . Placebo had no hemodynamic effects , and this difference between treatments was significant ( P < 0.01 for blood pressure and Tr , P = 0.03 for AgIx ) . We have therefore shown that after 1 month , oral ascorbic acid  lowered arterial blood pressure and improved arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes . As strict control of blood pressure reduces cardiovascular risk in diabetes , ascorbic acid supplementation may potentially be a useful and inexpensive adjunctive therapy . Larger and longer studies now need to be performed
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 .