Nutritional Approaches to Treat Diabetic Neuropathy: A Systematic Review

Diabetic neuropathy of the lower and upper limbs is a debilitating condition occurring in as many as half of long-term d iabetics. Many studies have reported that good blood glucose control can significantly reduce risk of heart d isease and strokes in diabetics. However, other studies have also reported that good blood glucose control has at best a modest effect in treating peripheral neuropathy in type 2 diabetics. New approaches to treat peripheral neuropathy are clearly needed. Nutrit ional approaches offer great promise in treat ing and preventing diabetic neuropathy. Many human and animal studies have reported that nutritional supplementation with many nutrients can significantly reduce pain, significantly improve tactile sensitivity and significantly increase nerve conduction velocities in diabetic neuropathy patients. Such nutrients that have been reported to significantly improve peripheral neuropathy symptoms include α-lipoic acid, acetyl-l-carn itine, B-complex vitamins, vitamins D and E, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, zinc and herbs/ plant phytochemicals. Because many nutrients are often helpful to diabetic neuropathy patients, multifaceted nutritional approaches employing a broad range of nutrients may be more useful than supplementation with single nutrients.