While we all need minerals to promote good health, the diabetic needs far more than the average man or woman to maintain healthy levels. The diabetic kidney is often stressed from trying to eliminate excess glucose from the body and succeeds to flush out many of the vitamins and minerals along with excess glucose. This makes it vital to replace what has been lost.

Failure to supplement leads to blindness, kidney damage and the deadening of nerves in the feet. Without feeling, infection can set in. Untreated, gangrene can set in leading to amputation.

But it doesn't end there. If you're overweight you likely suffer from heart disease and high blood pressure that will lead to a shortened lifespan.

According to the media and the medical establishment, all you need to do is eat a proper diet and exercise. Unfortunately, this leaves out one key ingredient; supplementation. The simple fact is that the food we buy from our grocer's shelves lacks essential nutrients as they come from farms where the soil is depleted of the vitamins and minerals we need.

For diabetics, certain minerals are vital. If you hope to avoid the complications that afflict so many, you should be supplementing.

Among the most important minerals necessary for good health are:

CHROMIUM: 90% of Americans do not get the recommended 50mcg (micrograms) of chromium a day. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences considers 50 to 200 mcg to be necessary. 200 to 400 mcg a day is best for the diabetic.

Chromium works with insulin in helping open the cell membranes to accept glucose. Without this vital element, insulin's effectis blocked. Not only does it improve insulin's action to get into the cells, but it has been shown to decrease fasting blood glucose levels, improve glucose tolerance and decrease cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as raise the HDL, good cholesterol.

Whole grains, cheese, beans, lentils and peas are good sources of chromium. Brewer's yeast is one of the best sources.

Since most Americans are deficient in this nutrient it explains the high incidents of those as having Syndrome X. It's estimated that as many as 2 billion people exhibit the conditions of syndrome X. Either chromium GTF or as chromium picolinate make good supplements.

MAGNESIUM: Low intake of magnesium is a major risk factor leading to diabetic complications, especially retinopathy. Blindness and heart disease are linked to a lack of magnesium. The RDA recommendation for healthy men is 350 mg per day and 300 mg for women. Between 300 to 600 mg is considered ideal. The majority of people fall far short of this minimum estimate. We only get from 143 to 266 mg daily.

Our highly refined diet lacks magnesium. Like chromium, magnesium helps in glucose regulation. Mineral supplementation can help improve insulin response and glucose tolerance. It also helps the improve the fluidity of red blood cells. Seeds, nuts, tofu, legumes (peas, lentils and beans), and green leafy vegetables sre high in magnesium. As a diabetic, you should take magnesium aspartate or magnesium citrate which is easily absorbed. To help get it into the cells, you should also take at least 25 mg of Vitamin B-6 daily.

POTASSIUM: It is the major mineral that resides inside all cell membranes. Its electrical charge generates what is called "membrane potential". Sodium, contained in salt, is found outside of cell membranes and it's believed that the ratio of sodium to potassium is off-balance and is one of the many reasons why insulin cannot open the cell doors to accept glucose.

Diets that include high potassium levels have been shown to lower the risk of many degenerative diseases including cancer and helps to lower blood pressure naturally. Plant foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains are the best sources of potassium.

MANGANESE: Animals deficient in manganese, it has been shown, have lower insulin output. It functions in many enzyme systems including those involved in blood sugar control and thyroid hormone function. Diabetics have only half the manganese of normal people. Good sources are whole grains, fruits and nuts, provided they are grown on well fertilized soil. A good daily dose of manganese for diabetics is between 3 to 5 mg.

ZINC: This mineral has a lot to do with several body functions from sexual health to immune function. Zinc deficiency leads to loss of appetite, susceptibility to infection, poor wound healing, skin disorders and deficiency in both taste and smell. It is involved with the synthesis and utilization of insulin and has anti-viral effects. It helps protect against the destruction of beta cell, the cells responsible for the production of insulin in the pancreas. Diabetics should supplement with 30 mg of zinc per day. Good sources of zinc are shell fish, organ meats, fish, pumpkin seeds, ginger root, nuts and seeds.

VANADIUM: It's missing in the average American diet. In the form of vanadyl sulfate it helps to control the rises in blood sugar in diabetics after meals. Good sources of vanadium are mushrooms, shellfish, dill, parsley and black pepper.

Far from being a complete list, these are the most important minerals and should be taken by every diabetic.

While taking minerals will help, the best advice for every diabetic is to lose weight, engage in vigorous activity and avoid the highly processed and refined foods that make up the daily staple of the average American diet.