Supplements causing sugar spikes!

Hi all

Does anyone else have issues with supplements spiking sugar levels? I was running late yesterday morning and took my supplements when I got home from work, BG 4.9 before taking them, but 6.8 an hour later!!! Thankfully another hour past and I returned to 4.9. This morning I ommitted the supplements in bold and the spike was 5.8. This is more than I get with most meals, usually remaining in the low fives. I know 6.8 isn't a huge amount but I'd rather source supplements that didn't have such an effect, I want to save my spikes for nice things!

I am currently taking the following supplements in pill form:

2x Calcium (Kirkland, Costco own brand) large pills - read it helps in weight loss
2x Glucosomine and Chondroitin pills, 1500mg & 1200mg(Ithink) - my poorly knees
1 x Mulitvitamin (Kirkland, Costco own brand)
1 x B12 Complex, lamberts
1 x Chromium complex, lamberts

and finally in liquid form:

Vitamin D3, 3 x 2000mg drops
1 tablespoon flax seed oil

The supplements in bold are stuff that I was already taking before diagnosis, the idea being that it would aid weightloss and get my joints ready for exercise. The others are what I have started since being diagnosed.

Am I better off with liquid supplents rather than the bulk stuff? Do you use anything similar that doesn't spike your BG? Thanks

Dave

catherinecherub said:

If you google Glucosomine Chondroitin side effects you will see that it can raise blood sugars in diabetics.

Click to expand...

Ah, thanks Catherine. I'll check that out, but this mornig I didn't take glucosomine and it still went to 5.8, nothing else consumed.

I have looked and nothing obvious leaps out, the writing is so bloody small too! Can't see any ols or oses! I was lead to believe that Lamberts and Biocare, make high qual supplements which is why I opted for them.

Found this on Rotherham PCT knowledge base:

Glucosamine and Diabetes
In 2006 the Medicines Information Service looked at the interaction between Glucosamine and Diabetes and found that:
“Research from animal studies suggests that high-dose intravenous (but not oral) glucosamine may interfere with blood glucose control. Similar effects have not been consistently documented in humans. A review of the literature found only one placebo-controlled double-blind trial that assessed the effect of glucosamine in patients with diabetes mellitus. In this study, patients with type 2 diabetes who were not receiving insulin were randomised to receive glucosamine 1,500mg plus chondroitin 1,200mg daily (n=26), or placebo (n=12) for 90 days. HbA1c values increased slightly (0.05%) in the active treatment group and decreased slightly in the placebo group (0.16%). These changes did not reach statistical significance. The patients in this study had well-controlled type 2 diabetes (baseline HbA1c <6.5%) and were taking a median of one oral hypoglycaemic agent. It is unclear whether these results would apply to patients with less well-controlled disease, or to those with type 1 diabetes. As the effect of glucosamine in patients with diabetes is not well studied it has been suggested that patients with diabetes should monitor their blood glucose levels more closely if glucosamine is initiated, the dose is increased or the product being taken is changed. 5
A systematic review of glucosamine undertaken in 2005 reported:
“Hypoglycemic Agents: The effect of glucosamine on glucose levels or insulin resistance has been controversial, and it remains unclear if interactions with agents possessing glycemic properties may occur. Despite initial concerns about use in diabetic patients based largely on in vitro and rat studies noting insulin resistance and possible glycemic effects and preliminary human work, more recent human research reports no significant effects (including on hemoglobin A1c levels in patients with type 2 diabetes after 90 days of therapy). Clinically relevant effects on blood sugars have not been noted in several clinical trials.” 6

5. Glucosamine – drug interactions, Medicines Information Service, 28th September 2006 http://www.druginfozone.nhs.uk/Record%2 ... ?id=577584
6. Ulbricht C et al. An Evidence-based Systemic Review of Glucosamine Conducted by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration. Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine Volume 2, Issue 1 2005 Article 1 (http://www.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent. ... ntext=jcim).

So no real evidence of a negative impact on BG, sadly the report also indicates that glucosamine only provides a marginal positive impact on joint health too! Might just ditch that one then!