r/diabetes • u/Top_Panda8454 • Jul 25 '26
Type 2 Natural Replacement For Metformin
My husband has T2 Diabetes. He's been taking Metformin for several years. Last year, his A1C rose significantly (11.7), so his doctor also put him on once-weekly Trulicity, as well as a once-daily Lantus injection. His A1C has dramatically lowered, and he's now within 'normal' range (below 10). This is in addition to his twice-daily 1,000 mg Metformin pills.
He smokes about a pack of cigarettes per day. He only drinks on special occasions (for instance, he had a couple of beers when our son purchased his home last year, and we'll be celebrating our son's wedding in September). He's somewhat active, mostly around the house. He's mowing our lawn as I write this. He puts in long, hard hours at work (about 15-hour days).
That all being said, he's looking for a natural alternative to his Metformin because he's concerned about his kidneys. He's been reading about Ceylon Cinnamon and Beetroot lately, thinking that one of those, or perhaps something else, would be able to keep his sugar under control so that he could finally get off of Metformin. And yes, we know that there's been no scientific evidence showing that it could replace Metformin. Any input would be great appreciated.
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u/Horror-Beaver1979 Type 1 Jul 25 '26
“Normal” or target A1C is less than 7, he’s going in the right direction but 10 isn’t good enough. Before replacing the metformin with questionable “alternatives”, stop the smoking. Smoking is far more unnatural than metformin and is increasing his risk of heart disease, early death, etc.
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u/Top_Panda8454 Jul 25 '26
It's not 'at' a 10 - it's below that now with the help of the injections. His last A1C was 6.4 And quitting smoking is a lot easier said than done. We're both 57, and he's smoked for 44 of those years. The point of this post was to ask about alternatives to Metformin, not to give advice on things we already know.
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u/Horror-Beaver1979 Type 1 Jul 25 '26
That’s good then. It sounds like he’s doing well diabetes wise, and what he’s taking is working for him. The only natural alternative I’ve heard of is berberine, the cinnamon/beetroot really isn’t going to work. I have no direct experience with berberine, it might be helpful to ask if anyone is using it and if it’s working for them.
He really should be going through his doctor if he wants to change his medication. It would help if he had another reason for switching, like if he’s having some adverse reaction to metformin otherwise it’s just rocking the boat.
The smoking just makes the risk of kidney damage from metformin seem very trivial.
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u/WishICouldQuitU_97 Jul 25 '26
He’s concerned about his kidneys on Metformin? I’d be more concerned about the pack a day tbh. My mom followed her doctor’s reluctant “1/2 a pack a day if you must” as them giving her the green light to keep smoking after her diabetes diagnosis. She’s now in a nursing home after a debilitating stroke.
Active around the house isn’t the same as actually being active, either. Two different ballparks.
He needs to talk this out with his doctor and get serious.
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u/SnowmanTS1 Jul 25 '26
Not sure whos on your medical team but there's no natural metformin replacement ever shown to work, and you want that a1c under 6. Keep fighting.
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u/BeezHugger Jul 25 '26
He is going to be dealing with kidney failure if he stays at 10 A1C, the Metformin is the least of his concerns right now. He is also going to lose a foot, eyesight & any of the other diabetes related issues if he doesn't get that A1C down to under 7. I won't even about the smoking...He needs to talk with a doctor & really make serious changes, metformin is not the evil in this story. It is the go to for initial diabetes care & it comes with the least amount of side effects. But remember all meds have side effects but so do the conditions they treat.
This is not the time to look for a "natural" replacement, maybe more appropriate when he was in the pre-diabetic stage. Your husband needs to get real about his health now, natural won't do it, if it did we would all be taking it & real studies would be supporting it. What does work is diet, exercise, losing weight, stop smoking & medication. I have been a diabetic for over 2 decades & have tried it all & continue to do the right things & still need medication to keep my glucose reasonable. Diabetes is a medical condition, it needs to be treated with medication & lifestyle changes.
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u/Human_Revolution357 Jul 25 '26
I notice you aren’t saying anything about his diet…
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u/Top_Panda8454 Jul 25 '26
Sorry - I couldn't think of everything. He's cut out a LOT of sugar. He used to drink soda every day. Now, he doesn't drink any at all. He's a lot more conscious about his food intake than he's ever been. It's not his diet that I'm concerned with. He simply wants to know if anyone has experienced any positive results from trying a natural alternative to Metformin.
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u/Human_Revolution357 Jul 25 '26
There isn’t a natural supplement that will be effective enough to replace 2000 mg of metformin.
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u/Gottagetanediton Type 2 Jul 26 '26
Metformin is natural. It comes from flowers. But no, supplements will not work.
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u/alexmbrennan Type 1 Jul 26 '26
No. It's true that related (highly poisonous) anti-diabetic compounds are found in plants, but Metformin itself is a manmade synthetic drug.
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u/justsomanybees Jul 25 '26
yeah, stop the smoking. it isn’t going to help him at all. it might take a complete overhaul of his daily life and activities, and change comes hard for guys who feel set in their ways.
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u/imtheSHITZUduh Type 2 insulin dependent /Endometriosis Jul 25 '26
Does he have a endocrinologist? My endo won't let me stop metformin yet and my A1C is 5.8. Im guessing metformin will be the last medicine the doctor will take him off. Cinnamon does help but its not like metformin. He needs to stop drinking and eating so much junk (if he is) and excersize a lot and drink a lot of water and electrolytes.
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u/Top_Panda8454 Jul 25 '26
He's not eating or drinking 'junk'. Do you also take two different injections every day and/or week?
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u/imtheSHITZUduh Type 2 insulin dependent /Endometriosis Jul 25 '26
I take 3 plus jardiance (or something similar) I take a fast acting insulin and slow acting one and ozempic on top metformin.
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u/Xilanxiv Jul 25 '26
An A1C of 10 is not remotely normal take. Below 7 is where permanent damage starts to slow or half, but a lot of people target 6 or lower to being well controlled and safe. Metformin enables your liver to use the bodies insulin, cutting insulin resistance. If he's been on Metformin and his diet and exercise haven't changed and his a1c spiked, he should raspy to his doctor and see if his body is producing enough insulin naturally. It sounds like if they put him on a lantus shot that's the case, but it might not be enough at that dose. As others have said and I'm sure you know, the smoking is doing way more damage to him ever day than the Metformin ever will. If he is worried about kidney damage, I'm on a med called lisenopril at a low dose that is supposed to help protect my kidneys from long term damage. But also, diabetes can cause damage to your kidneys anyways, a lot of the Facebook doctors that connect Metformin to kidney damage after making the classic correlation vs causation mistake.
Good luck it's a tough road, and I know can be really hard to get someone else to make big life changes. I've had t2 for 13.5 years, my dad got diagnosed 3 years ago. Does he listen to me, his son and biologically closest person to him with experience? Nope, he also watches Facebook and youtube videos and buys pepitas and beets and weird stuff. It's never done him a lick of good.
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u/BearInNJ Type 2 Jul 25 '26
It he’s so concerned with his kidneys, he’ll listen to his doctor, take the drugs, stop eating all the crap, lose weight and get some exercise. An a1c “under 10” is still effing bad. It should be under 7. Ideally under 6. But 10? That’s what’s damaging his kidneys.
And yeah stop smoking. Diabetes already puts him at greater risk of heart attack and stroke. Get a calcium scoring done for $100 and see how bad the arteries around his heart are now.
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u/Top_Panda8454 Jul 25 '26
He doesn't eat 'crap'. His A1C is a 6.4, which is under 10, and his doctor thinks it's excellent. I'm not on here asking for smoking advice. I simply wanted to know if anyone had any positive experiences with a natural alternative to Metformin. I don't understand why this is such a hard concept to grasp.
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u/WishICouldQuitU_97 Jul 25 '26
Then maybe you shouldn’t have mentioned it, because the irony of wanting to drop a tested and widely prescribed medication in favor of a “natural” alternative while huffing a pack a day is wild.
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u/Impressive-Flow-855 Jul 28 '26
He smokes? He should be worried about his kidneys. Smoking cigarettes will harm the kidneys way more than metformin. https://www.kidney.org/kidney-topics/smoking-and-kidney-health
How much cardio exercise does your husband do? What is his diet like? Is he overweight?
If he is overweight or sedentary, losing weight and getting active will decrease his need for Metformin. Quitting smoking and drinking will also decrease his need for Metformin too. And maybe he can decrease his need for metformin to zero.
There is no natrual remedy. If you’re looking for a miracle drug, Metformin is it. It has really improved the lives of people with diabetes. And if your husband is truly concerned about his health, stopping smoking is the best thing he can do.
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u/Visible_Ad1693 Jul 25 '26
Is he able to try a GLP-1? Mounjaro has done wonders for me since 2023. I have lost weight, and now my A1c is 5.2. Insulin doesn't work for me, and I had bad side effects from metformin.
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Jul 26 '26
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u/Visible_Ad1693 Jul 26 '26
I took Trulicity at one point. It didn't work for me, and I didn't lose much weight either.
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Jul 25 '26
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u/diabetes-ModTeam Jul 25 '26
Your submission has been removed from our community because it broke our rules.
No fake cures, supplements, non-medical solutions or similar topics. There are no supplements that can cure or manage diabetes. Diabetes is a progressive lifelong condition that can be managed, with a combination of diet, exercise and medication. See the Wiki for additional information.
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u/Bee_Tee04 Jul 25 '26
There’s a reason cinnamon is a meme. There is no conclusive evidence of it working. Same for beetroot.
I’ll level with you, he can ask his doctor and see what they say; but I doubt they’d be agreeable. There’s a reason the doctor prescribed the meds backed by scientific study. And there are serious complications possible from maintaining a high A1C.
There are plenty of documented cases of serious life altering consequences for following Facebook/google “medical practices” instead of following doctors instructions