Dietary supplements in the management of diabetes: potential risks and benefits.

A wide range of products claiming to lower blood glucose levels or prevent and treat diabetes complications and comorbidities are marketed to the public. Yet many individuals with diabetes are reluctant to inform their health care providers of complementary therapy use. As the nutrition experts on diabetes care teams, registered dietitians, in conjunction with pharmacists, are uniquely positioned to encourage patients to communicate openly about their use of dietary supplements, provide safety and efficacy information about supplements, and discourage use of dangerous or ineffective products.