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5 Must-Have Blood Sugar Supplements to Help Manage Glucose Levels, Everyday Fatigue, and Bloating

Here's how to find a quality glucose supplement to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

  • Written by: Brilliant Staff
  • Fact Checked by: SaVanna Shoemaker, MS, RDN, LD
blood sugar supplement products bottles
Millions of people struggle with their glucose levels, and there’s no shortage of supplements claiming to help maintain healthy blood sugar. But it can be difficult to determine which supplements are actually capable of doing so.

That’s why Brilliant Wellness has compiled a comprehensive buying guide for blood glucose supplements. We’ll cover what ingredients to look for, how they can support your whole body health, and compare popular blood sugar supplement formulas.

But before we get into that, here are a few of the benefits you can expect from a high-quality blood sugar supplement.

Benefits

  • Supports healthy blood sugar levels

  • Reduces occasional blood sugar-related fatigue

  • Encourages healthy metabolism

  • Invigorates energy levels

  • Decreases instances of mild bloating

Because glucose levels can have wide-ranging effects on the body, ensuring that your blood sugar remains within normal range, with the help of a supplement, can have a significant impact on how you feel day-to-day

However, it’s important to keep in mind that just like any other nutritional supplement, results take time. You may not feel a difference instantaneously, but don’t let that discourage you. Keep up with this healthy habit and the best results will become apparent over time.
woman holding a glass of water and a supplement capsule

While you may feel ready to make a purchase so you can feel these benefits firsthand, there is a wide disparity in the quality of supplements. It’s worth your time to do some research so you can be confident in what you choose to spend your money on.

Because everyone’s body is different, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to choosing the best supplements to maintain healthy blood sugar. Nevertheless, some ingredients have a better track record than others. Here are some key ingredients to look for to help you achieve your health goals.

Step 1

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Step 2

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Step 3

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Key Ingredients

Cinnamon Bark

Unique compounds found in cinnamon have been shown to support insulin function and balanced blood sugar levels. We recommend clinically studied cinnamon extracts such as CinSulin, which distills these compounds for maximum glucose support.

Lion’s Mane

This unique mushroom helps enzyme alpha-glucosidase levels stay low, which is essential for healthy blood sugar levels.

Chromium

This essential mineral can help support insulin function. It's also useful for maintaining healthy long-term blood sugar levels.

Berberine

Berberine was used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, and modern research has discovered that berberine supplements can assist with insulin function, helping your cells absorb sugar from the blood.

Watch Out For

Magnesium Stearate

This filler is used to help bind ingredients together and lubricate the supplement so it doesn’t gum up when it is run through the manufacturing machines. Magnesium stearate adds no nutritional value to your system.

Weak Ingredient Potency

Many supplements include small amounts of cinnamon bark extract to save money. We recommend you look for supplements with at least 500 mg cinnamon bark extract.

The Brilliant Process

How We Choose Products

Like you, we’re picky about products — and serious about quality

Whether we’re featuring an award-winning product from one of our five beauty and wellness brands — or somebody else’s — a Brilliant recommendation doesn’t see the light of day until it has been medically reviewed by our Fact Checkers for accuracy and has fulfilled our Brilliant Criteria. 

At Brilliant, although we often feature products that we sell, we’re not afraid to highlight and celebrate other brands who are doing things right.

Brilliant Criteria

We take great care in handpicking high-quality products to feature on Brilliant. Here’s how we choose them:
  • High-Quality Ingredients: We dig deep into the latest research and look for products that contain comprehensive ingredients for optimal impact.
  • Pure, Holistic Formulas: We prioritize products that contain clean, wholesome ingredients. A product should only contain what it needs and nothing else—period.
  • Brand Credibility: Each product on our list is produced by a company with trusted credibility. We've also verified that each brand adheres to labeling requirements set forth under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).
  • Value: We evaluate products based on industry averages and price per serving or application. We also consider quantity and return policy.

Why Trust Us?

As veteran leaders in the wellness space with an award-winning brand portfolio of 100+ health and beauty products, we are committed to honesty and transparency, providing thoughtful insights into the benefits and limitations of the information and products we evaluate — including our own. Every Brilliant Buying Guide is thoroughly vetted for medical accuracy by our Fact Checkers prior to publication.  

With our discerning selection process, you can feel confident that the products we recommend meet the highest benchmarks of quality, transparency, and efficacy. If we wouldn’t use a product ourselves, it’s not Brilliant.
Now that you know what to look for and watch out for in your blood glucose supplement, you’re ready to evaluate which supplement will be best for your health needs. Check out our Brilliant recommendations below, including our very own supplements: 1MD Nutrition’s GlucoseMD and Essential Elements’ GluControl.
glucose supplement products comparison chart

2024’s 
Must-Have Blood Sugar Control Supplements

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What is lorum ipsum?

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What is lorum ipsum?

Tellus facilisis donec blandit massa nibh nunc. Ipsum maecenas lobortis turpis amet volutpat sed. Sit lectus velit ac rutrum. Amet suspendisse est suspendisse dignissim euismod amet lorem amet cursus. Massa turpis vitae porttitor et.

What is lorum ipsum?

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What We Like:

    • Cinnamon bark (as CinSulin)
    • Lion’s mane
    • Chromium
    • Berberine
    • 90-day money-back guarantee
    • Doctor endorsed
    • Clinically studied ingredients
    • Non-GMO
    • Vegan

Room To Improve:

    • Frequently out of stock

Final Thoughts

GlucoseMD not only uses a clinically studied cinnamon bark extract — CinSulin — but it’s also in a high quantity of 500 mg per serving. 1MD Nutrition’s supplement is formulated with powerful servings of berberine bark extract, chromium, neem leaf extract, and lion's mane.

In addition to helping maintain normal blood glucose levels, our GlucoseMD formula offers targeted metabolic, immune, and cardiovascular system support.

GlucoseMD is endorsed by 1MD Nutrition’s Cardiologist, Dr. Heather Shenkman. Dr. Shenkman notes that GlucoseMD is “tailored to help maintain the proper breakdown of glucose in the gut to support normal blood glucose levels, aid pancreatic activity, and promote the absorption and efficient utilization of glucose in the body.”

Perhaps best of all, 1MD Nutrition offers a comprehensive, 90-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a full product refund if you don’t see the results you were hoping for.  Overall, GlucoseMD by 1MD Nutrition is a Brilliant Choice for a blood sugar support supplement.

Product Specs

  • 60 capsules per bottle (30 servings)
  • CinSulin cinnamon bark extract (500mg)
  • Lion’s mane (20mg)
  • Chromium as chromium picolinate (600mcg)
  • Berberine HCI (500mg)
  • Neem leaf extract (100mg)
  • Cayenne pepper extract (120mg)
  • Gymnema leaf and stem (100mg)
  • Dairy-free, peanut-free, wheat-free, shellfish-free, non-GMO, vegan
  • Price: $$

What We Like:

    • Cinnamon bark
    • Lion’s mane
    • Chromium
    • Berberine
    • 365-day money-back guarantee
    • Non-GMO
    • Vegan

Room To Improve:

    • Generic cinnamon bark
    • No doctor endorsement

Final Thoughts

Essential Elements’ GluControl is a Brilliant Value due to the fact that it costs less than GlucoseMD but contains many of the same effective ingredients, albeit sometimes in lower quantities. (Check out the product specs to compare). 

It is worth noting that GluControl uses a generic version of cinnamon bark extract instead of GlucoseMD’s clinically studied Cinsulin. While some might prefer the name brand ingredient, GluControl offers a cost-effective alternative for those looking to keep both their blood sugar and budget in check.

GluControl’s formula helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, encourage healthy metabolism, and support heart health.

Our brand, Essential Elements, offers an extensive 365-day money-back guarantee, so customers have plenty of time to try the supplement risk-free.

Product Specs

  • 60 capsules per bottle (30 servings)
  • Ceylon cinnamon bark extract (500mg)
  • Lions mane (10mg)
  • Chromium as chromium picolinate (600mcg)
  • Berberine HCI (500mg)
  • Neem leaf extract (10mg)
  • Milk thistle seed extract (10mg)
  • Gymnema leaf and stem powder (100mg)
  • Bitter melon fruit powder (10mg)
  • Dairy-free, peanut-free, gluten-free, shellfish-free, soy-free non-GMO, vegan
  • Price: $

What We Like:

    • Cinnamon bark 
    • Chromium (as Crominex 3+)
    • Berberine
    • Doctor Formulated
    • Clinically studied ingredients
    • Vegan

Room To Improve:

    • No brand-backed money-back guarantee
    • Generic cinnamon bark

Final Thoughts

Take one look at the supplement facts of Doctors’ Preferred GlucoGold and the expertise put into the formulation of this supplement is immediately apparent. GlucoGold supports blood sugar balance, heart health, healthy metabolism, and healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The supplement uses clinically studied forms of both Chromium and Berberine (as Crominex 3+ and BerberPure®, respectively). Taking the supplement as directed leads to a daily intake of 400 mcg of chromium, 1500 mg of berberine, and 200 mg of cinnamon bark extract.

Unfortunately, Doctors’ Preferred does not sell GlucoGold directly from their website. If you try the product and aren’t satisfied with your results, you’ll be at the mercy of the retailer you purchased from. GlucoGold is available from Amazon, GNC, and The Vitamin Shoppe.

Product Specs

  • 90 capsules (90 servings but recommended to take 3 servings per day)
  • Chromium - as Crominex 3+ (133 mcg)
  • Berberine - as BerberPure® (500 mg)
  • Cinnamon bark extract (67 mg)
  • Banaba leaf extract (16mg)
  • Vegan, gluten-free
  • Price: $$$

*We earn a commission if you click on this link to make a purchase of GlucoGold with Berberine.

What We Like:

    • Cinnamon bark
    • Clinically studied
    • Doctor endorsed
    • 60-day money-back guarantee
    • Vegan

Room To Improve:

    • 6 capsules recommended per day
    • Generic cinnamon bark
    • High price

Final Thoughts

While Curalin doesn’t have all of our favorite ingredients, it’s hard to argue with the results! In a clinical study, Curalin, combined with hypoglycemic drugs, was demonstrated to be twice as effective than a placebo in reducing HbA1c in adults after one month of use. We appreciate that Curalife was willing to put their whole product to the test, rather than just individual ingredients.

Curalin’s formula supports balanced blood glucose levels along with pancreas, liver, and kidney health. Three doctors endorse the supplement, including endocrinologist Dr. Itamar Raz.

While this supplement is slightly more expensive than others featured in this buying guide, Curalife offers a 60-day money-back guarantee on their products. If you only see lackluster results, you can get your money back.

Product Specs

  • 180 capsules per bottle (90 servings but recommended to take 3 servings per day)
  • Mormordica charantia fruit (300 mg)
  • Syzygium cumini seed (100 mg)
  • Swertia chirayita leaf (80 mg)
  • Trigonella foenum graecum seed (100 mg)
  • Gymnema sylvestre leaf (80 mg)
  • Phyllanthus emblica officinalis (100 mg)
  • Neopicrorhiza picrorhiza scrophulariiflora kurroa root (100 mg)
  • Curcuma longa rhizome (100 mg)
  • Cinnamon bark extract (40 mg)
  • Gluten-free, free of artificial colors/flavors, wheat-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegan
  • Price: $$$

What We Like:

    • Cinnamon bark
    • Chromium
    • Berberine
    • Non-GMO
    • 365-day money-back guarantee

Room To Improve:

    • No doctor endorsement
    • Exact quantities of some key ingredients not disclosed
    • Generic cinnamon bark

Final Thoughts

Gluco24 from Nation Health MD has plenty of helpful ingredients. Their formula includes chromium, ceylon cinnamon bark, and berberine to help manage blood sugar levels, as well as a plethora of vitamins and minerals to support overall health and immunity. These include magnesium, zinc, and vitamins C, D3, and E.

However, compared to the other products on our list the quantities of each ingredient are lower. It only contains 35 mcg of chromium, and due to their proprietary “Blood Sugar Blend”, the amounts of cinnamon bark and berberine are not disclosed. While their desire to protect their formula from potential copycats is understandable, potential customers may prefer to purchase a supplement where they can know exactly how much of each nutrient they are getting.

We do appreciate that Nation Health MD offers a 365-day money-back guarantee. If Gluco24 doesn’t meet your expectations, you still have a full year to get your money back.

Product Specs

  • 60 capsules per bottle (30 servings)
  • Vitamin C (50mg)
  • Vitamin D3 (50 mcg)
  • Vitamin E (15 mg)
  • Magnesium - as magnesium citrate and oxide (250 mg)
  • Zinc (7.5 mg)
  • Manganese (1 mg)
  • Chromium (35 mcg)
  • Blood Sugar Blend - Ceylon cinnamon bark, licorice root extract, berberine hydrochloride extract, alpha lipoic acid, bitter melon powder, cayenne pepper powder, guggul powder, mulberry leaf extract, yarrow herb powder (350 mg)
  • Taurine (50 mg)
  • Vanadium (5 mg)
  • Non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free
  • Price: $$$

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes fluctuations in blood glucose levels?

Fluctuations in blood sugar levels can result from a variety of factors. Some of these factors, such as excessive sugar intake, irregular meal patterns, lack of physical activity and emotional stress, can be addressed through healthy lifestyle choices. However, blood sugar can also be influenced by things we have less control over, like medical conditions, genetic predisposition, and certain medications. Maintaining a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and managing stress effectively are crucial to maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. If you’re concerned about your blood sugar levels, don’t hesitate to reach out to a healthcare professional for personalized guidance and evaluation.

How does the body regulate blood sugar?

The body balances blood sugar levels through an intricate process involving the pancreas, insulin, and glucagon. After eating, the pancreas releases insulin, allowing cells to absorb glucose for energy or storage. When blood sugar levels drop, glucagon is released, prompting the liver to convert stored glycogen into glucose or produce new glucose. These mechanisms help maintain blood sugar within a narrow range, ensuring a stable energy supply. Disruptions in this system can lead to blood sugar fluctuations.

Is a supplement really all it takes to manage fluctuations in blood sugar?

Unfortunately, there are a lot of unscrupulous companies out there that will claim their magic pill is all it takes. One quick search online for “blood sugar supplements ” will yield thousands of results. Many of these will come from less than reputable companies who make bold, unsupported claims about what is possible to achieve through supplements alone. While supplements can help manage healthy blood glucose levels, they are only one part of the bigger picture. Healthy diet and exercise play a crucial role in achieving these goals, and it’s best to consult with your doctor if you’re struggling with your blood sugar.

Citations

  1. Anderson, Richard A et al. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine vol. 6,4 332-336. 18 Apr. 2015, doi:10.1016/j.jtcme.2015.03.005
  2. Deyno, Serawit et al. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice vol. 156 (2019): 107815. doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2019.107815
  3. Hua, Yinan et al. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry vol. 23,4 (2012): 313-9. doi:10.1016/j.jnutbio.2011.11.001
  4. Kizilaslan, Nildem, and Nihal Zekiye Erdem. International Journal of Food Science vol. 2019 4138534. 4 Mar. 2019, doi:10.1155/2019/4138534
  5. Lee, Seul Ki et al. Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol. 262 (2020): 113197. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2020.113197
  6. Li, Zhongyu et al. Phytotherapy research : PTR vol. 37,5 (2023): 2051-2066. doi:10.1002/ptr.7806
  7. Weinberg Sibony, Roni et al. Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews vol. 39,4 (2023): e3624. doi:10.1002/dmrr.3624
  8. Zhao, Fengyi et al. Biological Trace Element Research vol. 200,2 (2022): 516-525. doi:10.1007/s12011-021-02693-3
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