What you need to know

* Aim for total nutrition with a multivitamin: Help ensure your body is getting the vitamins and minerals it needs to help prevent common infections * Check out chromium: Improve glucose tolerance by taking 200 to 1,000 mcg of this essential trace mineral every day * Fight back with fiber : Under a doctor's supervision, stabilize your blood sugar by eating fiber from whole grains, beans (legumes), vegetables, and fruit, and consider using a fiber supplement such as glucomannan or psyllium * Use a topical ointment: An ointment containing 0.025 to 0.075% capsaicin four times a day might help control nerve pain * Improve and protect with ALA: Take 600 to 1,200 mg a day of an alpha lipoic acid supplement to improve insulin sensitivity and help protect against diabetic complications such as nerve damage
These recommendations are not comprehensive and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or pharmacist. Continue reading the full diabetes article for more in-depth, fully-referenced information on medicines, vitamins, herbs, and dietary and lifestyle changes that may be helpful.