Nutrición

Memorandum
TO:

Diabetes Care and Education Dietetic Practice Group (DCE DPG) members

FROM:

Patti Urbanski, MEd, RD, LD, CDE
DCE Chair 2008-2009
Gretchen Benson, RD, LD, CDE
DCEPublications Committee Chair 2008-2009

DATE:

January 27, 2009

TOPIC:

Reproduction of the education handout Diabetes and Dietary Supplements

The educational handout Diabetes and DietarySupplements was originally developed in 2005 by the
DCE DPG. The handout has since been updated by the original author, Hope Warshaw, MMSc, RD,
CDE, BC-ADM, and may be reproduced for educational purposesonly through 2012 with credit
granted to DCE. Reproduction for sales purposes is not authorized. Please check the DCE website at
www.dce.org or contact the DCE Publications Chair for the status of thiseducational handout after
the expiration date.

Diabetes Care
and Education
a dietetic practice group of the

Diabetes and
Dietary Supplements
Do Ask, Do Tell
Do you take dietarysupplements?
If so, you aren’t alone. Studies show
that people with diabetes are twice as
likely to use dietary supplements as
people without diabetes.

with — the foods you eat and the
medicines youtake.
Dietary supplements are considered
within complementary and
alternative medicine. Complementary
means “used together with.”

magnesium, Vitamins A, C, and E, and

Alternative means “usedinstead of”

fiber. In addition, research has shown

health care providers that you take

standard medical practice.

that many children and adults do

supplements and which ones youFirst, Eat Healthy

not get sufficient Vitamin D. For this

take. However, to be fair, many health

A key to staying healthy with

care providers don’t ask.

diabetes is to eat healthful andYou might also have something else
in common: You may not tell your

This don’t tell, don’t ask policy isn’t
healthy for you. It’s also not helpful
to your health care providers. If
they don’t...