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Q: My husband is 27 years old and has type 1 diabetes so is on insulin therapy. His diabetes is fairly poorly controlled and he also has quite bad retinopathy. I have been thinking about buying him pycnogenol and bilberry supplements. What are the best supplements for him to take and at what dosage?
Also, Is there anything he can take specifically for his retinopathy? I need supplements that will not interfere with his insulin therapy.
A: Thank you for your query. Supplements that might be helpful for your husband are as follows:
Vitamin C: (1g daily) may affect HbAIc readings, so tell your doctor if you take this
Pycnogenol: In one study, 40 people with retinopathy were given either placebo or pycnogenol (50 mg three times a day) for 2 months. Those given pycnogenol showed no deterioration in retinal function and, in fact, experience a significant recovery of visual acuity while in those receiving placebo, retinopathy progressively worsened during the trial and the visual acuity significantly decreased.
Bilberry: In one study, 40 people (all but 3 of whom had diabetic retinopathy) took 160 mg bilberry extracts or placebo twice a day for one month. Those taking placebo then crossed over to take bilberry for one month. While taking bilberry extracts, 79% with visible retinal abnormalities on ophthalmologic examination showed improvement compared with none when taking placebo.
Magnesium: 300mg daily (deficiency is common in diabetes and has been linked with retinopathy)
Folic acid, B12 and vitamin B6 to reduce homocysteine levels (if raised)
By Dr Sarah Brewer, GP, Health Journalist and Expert in Complementary Medicine
Information correct as of May 2006
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