Having high blood sugar levels for too long can cause serious health problems if not treated. For people with diabetes, doctors recommend that they check their blood sugar (glucose) regularly to know if it’s too high or too low.

Diabetes is a condition that can be controlled with a healthy lifestyle plus medication if needed.  However, supplements suggested by doctors can lower blood sugar levels.

Dieudonne Bukaba, a nutritionist in Kigali, notes that juice made from aloe leaves may help lower blood sugar and A1C (a form of haemoglobin that is chemically linked to a sugar) in people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Also, aloe may interrelate with several medications, such as digoxin.

He says vitamin D deficiency is common in people with type 2 diabetes. Supplementing with vitamin D may improve the general blood sugar control, as reflected by A1C. But also, vitamin D may cooperate with certain medications.

Health experts empathise that consuming vitamin D may reduce the risk of insulin resistance in people who are obese.

There is some evidence that a certain blood level of vitamin D is necessary for normal glucose metabolism in women who are overweight and obese, but not diabetic. But it is not clear whether any further benefit is gained with higher blood levels.

"Cinnamon supplements may meekly improve blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar is not well controlled with medication,” Bukaba says.

Some studies have found that a branded cinnamon extract reduced fasting blood sugar by an average of about 10 milligrams per decilitre (a measurement that indicates the amount of a particular substance (such as glucose) in a specific amount of blood) in pre-diabetic men and women with metabolic syndrome.

The nutrition expert also notes that increased intake of magnesium from the diet and supplements has generally been associated with a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes — mainly among people with low intakes.

Magnesium supplementation has been shown to aid insulin sensitivity in people with type 2 diabetes, and may lower blood sugar levels in people with prediabetes or metabolic syndrome.

Doctors are expected to check levels before you start a magnesium supplement as taking extra without the doctor’s advice may cause problems.

Bukaba warns those with kidney damage, which is fairly common in diabetes, that their magnesium levels may already be too high.

Excess magnesium may cause low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat.

Scientists state that consuming a moderate amount of extra virgin olive oil with a meal, has been shown to reduce escalations in blood sugar after the meal, compared to the same meal consumed with corn oil. In people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, olive oil may improve glucose metabolism.

Bukaba adds that the good fats found in fish oil capsules as well as in algal oil, supplements made from algae and fish like salmon, sardines and more, have long been known as heart-healthy. That’s important for people with diabetes, who are at high risk of cardiovascular disease.

He says, omega-3s may reduce inflammation, decrease off-rhythm heartbeats, and dishearten artery-blocking.

In one review of studies published in 2017 in ‘Lipids Health Disease’, taking fish oil supplements improved insulin sensitivity in people with metabolic disorders such as diabetes.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that most people get their omega-3s from two or more weekly servings of fish.

Chromium is also known to improve insulin action in one’s body and lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes and possibly those with type 1, although it won’t cure the disease.

Doctors, however, advise to try only one new supplement at a time and check your blood sugar regularly to follow any changes over several months. Doing so will help you and your doctor regulate the effect.