Nutritional supplements could be helpful in controlling blood sugar, according to a study performed at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Ontario, Canada.
Results of the study were published in the February 2011 issue of the journal Current Diabetic Reports.
Researchers performed a literature search that included twelve medical databases and included studies performed in the past three years.
Articles were found that showed the following supplements to be possibly helpful in controlling blood sugar:

• vitamins C and E
• alpha lipoic acid
• melatonin
• red mold
• emodin from Aloe vera and Rheum officinale
• astragalus, and
• cassia cinnamon

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that our bodies cannot make or store, so we need to get some each day.
The USDA recommends 75mg per day of vitamin C for women and 90mg for men, with an additional 35mg per day for smokers.
Last month the journal Diabetes Care reported the results of a study performed by researchers at Harvard Medical School, who reported finding a significantly lower risk of Type 2 diabetes in older adults taking vitamin C and calcium supplements.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning that it can be stored in fat tissues.
The RDA for vitamin E is 15mg per day.
In a study reported in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research in May of 2010, researchers at the Guangzhou Institute in China reported improved insulin sensitivity and handling of sugar in diabetic mice fed vitamin E.
According to the University of Maryland, alpha lipoic acid is an antioxidant that helps cells make energy from sugar.
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal body and is related to circadian rhythm, our schedule of sleeping during the night and being awake during daylight hours.
According to an article published in the journal Review of Endocrine Metabolic Disorders in December of 2009, circadian disorders might be one cause of Type 2 diabetes.
The article goes on to list anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of the hormone.
According to an article published in the journal Diabetes and Obesity in November 2010, Aloe vera and Astragalus could be helpful as an anti-inflammatory in treating diabetes.
The authors are members of Tsinghua University in China.
In an article published in the journal Pharmalogical Biology, February 2011 workers in the Department of Analytical and General Chemistry at Istanbul University in Turkey report finding anti-oxidant properties in an extract of cinnamon.
It's always wise to discuss with your doctor the safety and efficacy of supplements when taken with a medication regimen.