Protect your body with these nutrients

Important nutrients to protect against diabetic complications:

Vitamin A:

Boosts immune system; deficiency results in night blindness and retinopathy, a complication of diabetes affecting blood vessels in the retina of the eye.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine):

Regulates metabolism; plays a role in nerve impulses.

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine):

Regulates metabolism of protein, carbohydrates and fats; deficiency results in peripheral neuropathy (pain or loss of feeling in toes, legs, hands and arms) and poor control of glucose.

Vitamin B12:

Helps to maintain a healthy nervous system; ensures normal red blood cell formation.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid):

Plays a role in wound healing and scar formation; assists the body’s immune system.

Vitamin E:

Powerful antioxidant that neutralises harmful free-radicals (bad cells) in the body, which may cause cancer; keeps cell walls in good condition; maintains healthy nerves, skin, muscles, red blood cells and heart circulation.

Chromium:

Essential for the metabolism of glucose, insulin and blood fats; insulin controls the levels of sugar in the blood and plays a role in the storage of fat.

Folic acid:

Deficiency results in anaemia as folic acid helps with the formation of red blood cells; could worsen diabetes complications.

Magnesium:

Helps control blood sugar levels; vital for the growth and maintenance of teeth and bones; assists in muscle relaxation; necessary for the development and functioning of a healthy heart and nervous system.

Selenium:

Stimulates absorption of glucose; regulates metabolic processes, helps with the formation of glucose from carbohydrates.

Zinc:

Achieving better glucose control; improvement in the severity of nerve damage; essential for a healthy immune system and the healing of wounds.