Vitamins and minerals found to ease diabetic neuropathy
A unique combination of vitamins and minerals has been shown to reverse the effects of diabetic neuropathy, a peripheral nerve disorder caused by diabetes.
Around 70 per cent of diabetics develop some form of diabetic neuropathy and researchers have now found that under-consumption of certain micronutrients can accelerate pain and other complications associated with the disorder.
Dr Mark Gostine, founder of pain management practice Michigan Pain Consultants, explained: "Our goal with this study was to better understand how to more effectively manage pain and other complications associated with diabetic neuropathy.
"It's not just that people are eating too much bad food; it's that they are eating too little of high quality foods. In other words, it's not what you eat; it's what you don't eat that hurts you."
The researchers decided to test a combination of five nutritional supplements - N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), alpha-lipoic-acid (ALA), L-carnitine (LCA), vitamin C and selenium.
Patients who took the micronutrients for 12 weeks reported an average pain rating of 6.59 for 'burning pain in hands and feet' prior to treatment and just 2.44 after the study period, indicating a major decrease in pain.
In addition, the average rating for overall pain fell by 56 per cent, from 6.54 before treatment to 2.85 at the end of the 12-week study period.
"What we found is that restoring a group of five dietary vitamins and minerals was very effective in alleviating a number of key symptoms, including burning, numbness and overall pain," Dr Gostine concluded.
A unique combination of vitamins and minerals has been shown to reverse the effects of diabetic neuropathy, a peripheral nerve disorder caused by diabetes.
