Nutritional supplements for the prevention of diabetes mellitus and its complications

Abstract

Many patients commonly use nutritional supplements as an alternative or as an addition to their current medication regimen to prevent or treat diseases. One of these diseases, a leading cause of death in the United States, is diabetes mellitus and its complications [1]. For both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, studies have been conducted to test not only prescription medications, but also nutritional supplements that may a role in prevention of the progression of this disease and its associated complications. In this article, we will review the efficacy of nutritional supplements that have been used for the prevention of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus and their main complications, including diabetic neuropathy, cardiovascular disease, and retinopathy.