Yarrow herb, also known as Achillea millefolium, has been shown preclinically to have antidiabetic effects. It has also been shown to have the potential to help in wound healing in models of diabetes, as well as to reduce blood glucose and lipid abnormalities.

Berberine has hypoglycemic properties and appears to benefit lipid metabolism. It appears to prevent diabetic complications through several anti-diabetic mechanisms and also works as an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory.

Research has shown that formulations that include white willow bark can reduce the amount of retinal inflammation and help to preserve the retina of the eye in preclinical models of diabetes.

Magnesium supplementation has been suggested as a way to prevent and manage type 2 diabetes based on the benefits observed in diabetic patients. For instance, magnesium supplementation has been shown to improve multiple indicators of glycemic control and to reduce insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Gymnema sylvestre has hypoglycemic properties and has been shown to reduce blood glucose both during fasting and following meals as well as to reduce fatigue. Data suggest that when type 2 diabetes patients who take gymnema supplements may experience regeneration or repair of their beta cells.

A recent review of the value of licorice root extract in diabetes has found that flavonoids within the extract have therapeutic potential for those with diabetes due to their ability to increase insulin receptor sensitivity, enhance glucose use, correcting metabolic disorders, and clearing free radicals.

Preclinical research on Ceylon cinnamon found that this compound was capable of lowering blood glucose levels, improving lipid parameters, and reducing food intake. Clinical research has shown that cinnamon supplementation can lower plasma glucose levels in type 2 diabetes patients whose blood sugar is not well controlled. Cinnamon has also been shown to produce benefits to patients with type 2 diabetes with regard to their glucose, insulin, insulin sensitivity, lean body mass, and lipids.

Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant that has been shown to reduce incidence of peripheral neuropathy and depression when type 2 diabetes patients use it as a supplement to conventional treatment. It has also been shown to have potential for improving glycemic control in those with type 2 diabetes. A recent review of the relevance of alpha-lipoic acid to diabetes has revealed that alpha-lipoic acid supplementation is likely most useful in diabetes patients to prevent diabetes complication.

A comprehensive review and meta-analysis found that zinc supplementation can help people with diabetes by improving glycemic control and promoting healthy lipid activity. A more recent review corroborated these findings and showed that reducing fasting glucose was one specific way that zinc supplementation could enable diabetes patients to have better glycemic control. Based on these findings, researchers suggested that zinc supplementation may be beneficial as an adjunct therapy in those with diabetes.

People with diabetes are known to have lower levels of ascorbic acid than those without diabetes, and ascorbic acid supplementation in people with type 2 diabetes has shown that it can improve glycemic control after meals and reduce blood pressure. High doses of ascorbic acid have been shown to improve both fasting blood glucose and HbA1c in non-insulin-dependent diabetes patients.

Supplementation with potassium chloride has been shown to provide value to diabetes patients by helping to prevent worsening fasting glucose levels. Given that lower potassium levels are associated with an increased risk for diabetes, restoring normal potassium levels may help to reverse biological abnormalities that occur in those in whom potassium is deficient.