Failure to keep diabetes in check can result in serious, potentially deadly consequences. Lifestyle changes take center stage when it comes to managing this condition, and they should always be the primary tools to promote better health. Using herbs and other natural substances might serve as a nice complement, but not as a substitute for these more tried-and-true methods. Research suggests biotin and fenugreek might help lower blood sugar levels, but not enough evidence exists to know whether they offer any real benefits. If they did work for you, you would likely need to reduce your medication dosages to compensate for their effects; use them only under your doctor's supervision.
Biotin and Diabetes
Like the other B vitamins, biotin helps the body turn carbohydrates into energy. An inability to effectively use this nutrient or a tendency toward deficiency might contribute to development of diabetes, according to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. This suggests supplemental biotin might help manage this condition.
Research on Biotin
Research suggesting biotin may help manage diabetes mostly comes from older studies. A study published in the ''Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences'' in 1985 found biotin lowered blood sugar levels in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics. Participants used between 9 mg and 16 mg daily.
Another study, published in the ''Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition'' in 1993, tested the effects of supplementation in diabetics with low levels of biotin. Researchers found that after patients took 9 mg daily, blood sugar levels dropped.
More recent research, published in the January 2008 issue of ''Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews,'' tested the effects of biotin and chromium picolinate, another supplement with potential to treat diabetes, on lowering blood sugar in overweight Type 2 diabetics. Participants either took 2 mg of biotin and 600 mcg of chromium along with diabetes medications, or medications plus a placebo, for 90 days. The treatment group experienced ''significant'' changes in blood sugar levels compared to the placebo group.
Fenugreek and Diabetes
Fengreek might help control diabetes in two ways, according to EMedTV, a physician-created health website. One of its components, 4-hydroxyisoleucine, might help stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin. It also has fiber and pectin, two substances that can slow the release of sugar from the digestive tract into the bloodstream.
Research on Fengreek
A study published in the November 2001 issue of ''The Journal of the Association of Physicians in India'' tested the effects of 1 g of fenugreek seed extract against a placebo in Type 2 diabetics. Both groups were also practicing typical interventions such as diet and exercise. After two months, the treatment group experienced greater improvement, especially in terms of increased insulin sensitivity, which means the body was able to use insulin with greater efficiency to move sugar into the cells.
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center reports earlier research, in both animals and humans, has found similar results.
References
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: Biotin
- ''The Journal of the Association of Physicians in India''; Effect of Trigonella Foenum-Graecum (Fenugreek) Seeds on Glycaemic Control and Insulin Resistance in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Double Blind Placebo Controlled Study; A. Gupta, et al.; November 2001
- ''Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews''; Chromium Picolinate and Biotin Combination Improves Glucose Metabolism in Treated, Uncontrolled Overweight to Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes; C.A. Albarracin, et al.; January 2008
- EMedTV; Fenugreek; Kristi Monson, Pharm.D., et al.
- University of Michigan Health System: Biotin
