ALA, carnosine, thiamine supplementation found to protect obese patients with Type 2 diabetes from hyperglycemia, oxidative stress

A study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food revealed that supplementation with alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), carnosine, and thiamine can lower blood sugar levels in obese individuals with diabetes. Additionally, it can reduce oxidative stress and inhibit platelet aggregation to provide greater cardiovascular protection.

• Researchers from Greece conducted a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial to look at the effectiveness of an individualized oral supplementation with ALA, carnosine, and thiamine.
• The researchers recruited 82 obese individuals with Type 2 diabetes and assigned them to two groups: a treatment group and a control group.
• The treatment group received 7 milligrams per kilogram body weight (mg/kg) of ALA, 6 mg/kg body weight of carnosine, and 1 mg/kg body weight of thiamine every day for eight weeks, while the control group received a placebo.
• The researchers also measured the participants’ oxidative stress levels and platelet aggregation at the beginning and at the end of the study. They also determined the antiplatelet activity of each of the supplement’s components ex vivo at human and washed rabbit platelets.
• The results showed that supplementation with ALA, carnosine, and thiamine reduced glucose and oxidative stress levels.
• It also reduced insulin sensitivity while increasing its production.
• The treatment group also exhibited decreased platelet aggregation, but researchers identified that ALA was the only inhibitor of platelet aggregation.

Overall, these findings suggest that daily supplementation with ALA, carnosine, and thiamine exhibit blood sugar-lowering, antioxidant, and cardioprotective effects in obese patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Read the full text of the study at this link.

Learn more about other supplements beneficial to people with Type 2 diabetes by visiting SupplementsReport.com.

Journal Reference:

Karkabounas S, Papadopoulos N, Anastasiadou C, Gubili C, Peschos D, Daskalou T, Fikioris N, Simos YV, Kontargiris E, Gianakopoulos X, et al. EFFECTS OF ?-LIPOIC ACID, CARNOSINE, AND THIAMINE SUPPLEMENTATION IN OBESE PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND STUDY. Journal of Medicinal Food. 12 December 2018; 21(12): 1197-1203. DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2018.0007