Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Zinc supplementation improves fasting blood glucose, postprandial plasma glucose, and lipid profiles in diabetic patients, with potentially greater benefits for those who are poorly controlled or overweight.
Consider zinc supplementation if you have diabetes, especially if you are overweight or your blood sugar is not well-controlled by medication. A meta-analysis suggests it can improve fasting blood glucose and lipid profiles. However, the benefits are likely marginal compared to standard care and lifestyle changes.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
The conclusion was that zinc did have a beneficial effect on FBG, postprandial plasma glucose and lipid profiles. The benefit may be even greater in patients who are more poorly controlled by medication or who are more overweight
Why this rating
Based on a meta-analysis of heterogeneous studies.
Source
How Effective Are Antioxidant Supplements in Obesity and Diabetes?
Daniyal Abdali et al. · Medical Principles and Practice · 2015
DOI 10.1159/000375305
narrative_reviewCited 213×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Antioxidant supplements (zinc, lipoic acid, carnitine, cinnamon, green tea, and possibly vitamin C plus E) provide only marginal benefits for managing obesity and type 2 diabetes, whereas antioxidant-rich foods are recommended as part of a healthy lifestyle.Moderate
- Lipoic acid supplementation (300-1800 mg/day) may improve glycemic control, insulin sensitivity, and weight loss in obese or diabetic patients, but effects are marginal and may be negated without concurrent exercise.Moderate
- Carnitine supplementation (L-Carnitine) provides marginal benefits for body weight, glycemic control, and lipid profiles in diabetic patients, particularly when combined with other medications like orlistat or sibutramine.Moderate
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