Jeremiah Farias (00:00.056)
Here are four vitamins and minerals that are crucial for diabetes. We’ll look at their role in blood sugar metabolism and where to find these nutrients, looking at both whole food sources and some supplemental sources. Hi, my name is Jeremiah Farias. I’m a functional registered dietitian and I help adults suffering from blood sugar dysregulation issues, conditions like diabetes and pre -diabetes, using a bio -energetic approach to help optimize cellular energy production. On this channel,

I review the science and mechanisms involved in optimizing health and blood sugar metabolism while also providing practical takeaways. I hope you enjoyed today’s video. Vitamins and minerals are responsible for running our metabolism, which makes meeting our nutrient needs really important if we’re trying to reverse diabetes, improve blood sugar metabolism, and optimize our overall health. In today’s video, we’ll look at four nutrients, the first being vitamin B1 called thiamin, vitamin K2, potassium, and lastly, magnesium.

Let’s start with thiamin. Thiamin is known as vitamin B1. This is because it was the first water soluble vitamin to be discovered. The link between diabetes and thiamin was known back in the 1940s. This is because thiamin is required to turn glucose that we get from carbohydrates in our diet into cellular energy ATP. Let’s look at an illustration to highlight the importance of thiamin as it relates to energy production and glucose utilization. I’ve shared this illustration in a previous video and

It does a great job of highlighting the numerous nutrients that are required to convert macronutrients like protein, carbs, and fats into cellular energy in the mitochondria. And you can see here at multiple steps, you’ll notice vitamin B1, which is thiamine. And without thiamine, you’re going to have impaired cellular energy production. You’re going to have impaired mitochondrial function as well.

So if we cannot turn glucose into ATP or that cellular energy within the cell, this is where you start to see insulin resistance and diabetes occur. As a result, thiamine deficiency starves the central nervous system of glucose and this can lead to neurological issues. Some studies actually find there’s a reduction in reactive oxygen species that are caused by high blood sugar levels when people are supplementing with thiamine.

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In a previous video, I’ve covered the dangers and the harms that spikes in blood sugar cause, and I’ll link to that above if you want to check it out. So how much thiamine should we be aiming for each day? It’s likely beneficial to get at least 3 .2 milligrams per day. Now, where can we get thiamine? The best food sources for thiamine are going to be nutritional yeast, pork, whole grains, and legumes. So incorporating those in the diet, if you tolerate them and those that are properly prepared.

in the case of grains and legumes, can help in meeting our thiamine needs. What about supplemental forms of thiamine? Now, anytime we’re taking supplements, we always want to be cautious of overtaking or toxicity of some of these compounds. But the good news is with thiamine, there hasn’t been any upper limit identified, meaning you can take quite a bit and there’s no toxicity that can occur. Now,

You can actually take upwards of a hundred milligrams multiple times a day and you’re going to be fine. The most common supplemental forms of thiamin are first thiamin hydrochloride, two benfothiamin, and third thiamin pyrophosphate. Thiamin hydrochloride is a well studied form and it’s also the most affordable. The benfothiamin is a fat soluble thiamin and it’s thought to actually cross into the central nervous system a lot more effectively.

Thiamine pyrophosphate is the active form of thiamine and it’s thought to be more effective for individuals with certain conditions. With any of these supplements, the best place I would recommend starting is using the cheapest form, the thiamine hydrochloride. If you notice benefits, wonderful. If not, then you can begin experimenting with some of the other forms. Next is vitamin K2. The K actually stands for coagulation and the reason it’s a K instead of a C is because the…

Danish biochemist that discovered it spoke German and coagulation in German starts with a K instead of a C. There are many forms of vitamin K. We have vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. Vitamin K1 is found in plant foods, whereas vitamin K2 is found in animal foods and fermented foods. But the fermented foods can be of animal origin or plant origin. The form of vitamin K that’s most supported for blood sugar regulation is K2, specifically the form MK7.

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and MK stands for Menequinone. How does vitamin K2 support diabetes and blood sugar metabolism? So the form MK7 actually supports the production of insulin and it improves insulin sensitivity. It does this by activating a protein called osteocalcin. Osteocalcin is a protein that’s found in the bone and osteocalcin will stimulate the pancreas to release insulin.

and it also will enhance insulin sensitivity. So as a result of having a vitamin K2 deficiency, you can see impaired release and production of insulin, and you can also see impaired insulin sensitivity, or on the other end, insulin resistance. So how much vitamin K should we be getting on a daily basis? Based on what we know about the importance of vitamin K2 for our health, Dr. Chris Masterjohn suggests getting at least 100 micrograms of K2 per day.

but there might be even additional benefits of getting 200 micrograms per day. Now, where can we find vitamin K2 in foods? Vitamin K is going to be found in a product called Natto, which is a fermented soybean. You can actually get it in other forms of Natto, like a Natto made from black beans as well. This is a fermented product. You can also find vitamin K2 in liver from certain animals, hard cheeses, soft cheeses, and egg yolks. Now, what about vitamin K2 supplementation?

It can be beneficial to get a combination of the forms of vitamin K such as vitamin K1, MK7, and another form that we didn’t talk about, MK4, which MK7 and MK4 are within the vitamin K2 category. It’s important with vitamin K2 supplementation as with other fat soluble vitamin supplementation to not consume too much because

If you take too much of any one fat soluble vitamin, it can deplete the body of others. Another important piece to remember when supplementing with vitamin K2 and any fat soluble vitamin is to take that supplement with fat, a meal containing fat, because the fat is going to be required to actually absorb that vitamin. So we’ve covered thiamine and vitamin K2. In a moment, we’re going look at the minerals magnesium and potassium. Before we dive into those minerals though, I’m curious.

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Before this video, have you heard of thiamin or vitamin K2? Were you aware of their value and importance in supporting blood sugar metabolism? Let me know down in the comments. If you’re getting value from this video, please be sure to hit that like button. And if you’re looking for some practical information that you can begin implementing today to start improving your blood sugar metabolism, be sure to download my free guide, Five Steps to Improving Your Blood Sugar Metabolism. The link will be down below. Lastly, I’ve included links to examples of supplements that I use with the clients that I work with.

You can find these on Amazon or an online dispensary called Fullscript. With Fullscript, you’d have to create a free account, but you get discounts and access to high quality supplements. If you’re interested, the links to those will be in the description below. Okay, let’s dive into potassium and magnesium. So potassium is the main mineral that’s found within the cell, known as an intracellular mineral or an intracellular electrolyte. It functions as an electrolyte, but it’s also involved in a variety of vital cellular processes. When speaking about potassium, we should also talk about sodium.

both are working together throughout the body and you actually require both potassium and sodium to release insulin. In this illustration, we’ll see how potassium is connected with the release of insulin. So just to give you an idea of what we’re looking at here, this is representing a beta cell. Beta cells, as a reminder, are in the pancreas. They are the cells that release insulin in response to carbohydrate consumption. And the K plus ions are potassium, the insulin is the peach colored,

compound and Ca2 plus are calcium ions. In order for potassium to build up, you need a high ATP to ADP ratio. This just indicates that energy is sufficient or high. This can result in the blockage of what are called ATP sensitive potassium channels. And this results in the buildup of potassium. This then signals the voltage gated calcium channels to allow

calcium from outside of the cell into the cell, it comes in and this also supports the release of insulin from the beta cell. You’ll see here, I mentioned that potassium and sodium are interconnected. And so as potassium’s coming in to help with the buildup of potassium ions, sodium is also leaving outside of the cell. So you see, you need potassium, sufficient potassium within the cell to even signal the release of insulin.

Jeremiah Farias (09:11.63)
In addition to potassium being responsible for the release of insulin from the beta cell in the pancreas, according to Dr. Chris Masterjohn, potassium also activates enzymes that directly enable decision making about whether glucose should be broken down for energy, used to stoke the metabolic flame in which all fuel is burned or conserved while protein is made into extra glucose. So you might be thinking, yes, there’s a mechanistic connection to how

lower potassium can negatively impact blood sugar metabolism and insulin release. But do we actually see this in people? You actually do. To highlight or illustrate how a deficiency in potassium can cause blood sugar issues, we can look at a class of medications called diacid diuretics. Dicid diuretics are commonly prescribed to those suffering from hypertension. By their nature, they actually are potassium wasting diuretics.

So you see the development of something called hypokalemia or low potassium levels. Authors of one study found that experimentally induced hypokalemia, so low potassium levels in the blood, led to impaired glucose tolerance by impairing insulin secretion when a glucose load was experienced. Another study found that groups with the lowest blood potassium levels, less than four milli equivalents per liter, had the highest risk of experiencing or developing

diabetes. So how much potassium should we be aiming for? Previously, the adequate intake of the AI for potassium for both sexes was set at 4 ,700 milligrams per day. This 4 ,700 milligrams per day was decided because that was the amount of potassium needed to abolish the increase in blood pressure that occurred or was caused by sodium. However, in 2019, a new report came out and landed on an

AI or adequate intake for potassium of 2300 for women and 3400 for men. But instead of seeing this newer AI as the optimal target, I believe it should be the bare minimum that one is aiming for. And instead, the previous AI of 4700 milligrams per day of potassium is the optimal.

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amount, whether it’s 4 ,700 or more. This is because potassium’s role in lowering blood pressure, but also its effects in lowering the potential renal acid load that can be increased from nutrients like protein and phosphorus relative, or too much protein and phosphorus relative to potassium, magnesium, and calcium. So what are the best ways to get potassium in our diet? Eating foods like sweet potatoes and yams, regular potatoes, salmon.

beans, butternut squash, plantains, bananas, oranges, coconut water, milk, and Greek yogurt. Those are gonna be great sources of potassium. You can see that we’re really wanting to prioritize fruits and vegetables to meet our potassium needs. Meats do have potassium, but unfortunately, unless you’re consuming the juices, you’re going to be losing it when that water is released from the meat as you’re cooking it. So if you’re having stews or soups,

then the broth is going to be very rich in potassium from the meat that you’re cooking. So what about potassium supplements? Potassium supplements are actually something I don’t recommend unless someone is very healthy. This is because those with diabetes, insulin resistance and impaired kidney function can have issues excreting excess potassium. And this can result in hyperkalemia, which can cause a lot of problems. Now, because of the population that I work with, this is why I don’t feel comfortable recommending using any supplementation for potassium.

and instead trying to meet your potassium needs through your diet, through whole foods. One caveat, those with kidney disease and certain stages of chronic kidney disease are usually actually limiting potassium, so be sure to not go crazy with potassium if this is…

something that you are experiencing and struggling with. Lastly, let’s discuss magnesium. Magnesium is required for literally everything that occurs in the body. Because everything that occurs in the body requires energy and magnesium is required to use that energy, it highlights the importance of magnesium in our overall health and allowing our body to work optimally. Because of magnesium’s role in cellular energy production, it makes sense that a deficiency in magnesium can then lead to impaired glucose metabolism.

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things like insulin resistance type 2 diabetes. One study supplemented those with diabetes with magnesium and after three months they saw improvements in insulin sensitivity, hemoglobin A1c and other blood sugar markers. So how much magnesium should you be getting per day? The RDA for magnesium for men is 420 milligrams and for women is 320 milligrams. So men and women should be aiming for that amount. Now what are some of the best sources of magnesium? So hold hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, beans.

cod, macadamia nuts, these are all great sources of whole food magnesium that you can get and incorporate in your diet. For magnesium supplements, the best, most bioavailable forms are going to be glycinate, aspartate, gluconate, lactate, malate, and citrate. They all are less likely to cause any GI related issues that people can experience with other forms of magnesium like magnesium oxide. As you can see, micronutrients are crucial for

optimal glucose and cellular metabolism. However, micronutrients are not the only thing we want to be ensuring enough of. We want to make sure we’re getting enough macronutrients, so protein, carbs, and fats.

You can check out my video, the three best carbohydrates to include when you have diabetes and when you’re looking to improve your blood sugar. And then after that, you can check out my video on the best types of protein to be incorporating in your diet. If you need more guidance on improving your diabetes, pre -diabetes or blood sugar metabolism issues, the best place to start is scheduling a free 30 minute discovery call where you can learn about working with me.

I am also credentialed to a variety of health insurance companies that can help offset costs in working with me one on one. All the links to schedule the discovery call and the link to assess your insurance coverage will be down in the description below. I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s content. If you have, please be sure to hit that like button. Take care and I’ll see you next week.