Condition

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is diabetes that first appears in pregnancy, when hormones make the body resistant to insulin and some women can't make enough extra to keep blood sugar steady. Inositol has the strongest backing among supplements, and trials found it raised adiponectin, a hormone linked to insulin sensitivity, while high-fibre diets improved blood sugar with moderate evidence. Most studies were small, and chromium and zinc showed only limited hints of better blood sugar.

Sources: PMID 39473074

Supplements studied: 8
Graded outcomes: 7
Trials: 8
People studied: 4,097

Evidence by supplement

Strong
Moderate
Limited
Very limited

8 supplements

Fiber

Fiber: outcomes studied for Gestational Diabetes
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Blood glucose Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect	1 study	1,061 people
Studies that measured blood glucose The effect of high-fibre diets on glycaemic control in women with diabetes in pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Diabet Med · PMID 39473074
	HbA1c	Improves (the measure goes down)		1 study	1,061 people
Studies that measured hba1c Effects of different dietary patterns on glucose management in type 1 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.EClinicalMedicine · PMID 40641818

Selenium

Selenium: outcomes studied for Gestational Diabetes
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Bilirubin Moderate Decrease	Improves (the measure goes down)	Moderate effect		106 people
	Insulin Resistance	Improves (the measure goes down)		1 study	175 people
Studies that measured insulin resistance Selenium supplementation for management of gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.BMC Endocr Disord · PMID 41073938
	Triglycerides	Improves (the measure goes down)		1 study	121 people
Studies that measured triglycerides Effect of selenium supplementation on hemodialysis patients: a meta-analysis.Int Urol Nephrol · PMID 39900786
	Blood glucose	Improves (the measure goes down)			175 people
	High-density lipoprotein (HDL)	Improves (the measure goes up)			121 people
	Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)	Improves (the measure goes down)			121 people
	Total cholesterol	Improves (the measure goes down)			121 people

Chromium

Blood glucose: improves
Weight: improves
Glycemic Control: improves

Chromium: outcomes studied for Gestational Diabetes
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Blood glucose Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect	6 studies	40 people
Studies that measured blood glucose Effects of acute chromium supplementation on postprandial metabolism in healthy young menJ Am Coll Nutr · 2004 · PMID 15310739 Effect of Chromium Supplementation on Blood Glucose and Lipid Levels in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysisBiol Trace Elem Res · PMID 33783683 Beneficial effects of oral chromium picolinate supplementation on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized clinical studyJ Trace Elem Med Biol · PMID 26302914 and 3 more on the Chromium page
	Weight	Improves (the measure goes down)		12 studies	40 people
Studies that measured weight Chromium picolinate supplementation in women: effects on body weight, composition, and iron statusNutrition · PMID 17291720 Effect of resistance training with or without chromium picolinate supplementation on glucose metabolism in older men and womenMetabolism · PMID 10337851 Chromium supplementation shortens QTc interval duration in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitusAm Heart J · PMID 15990745 and 9 more on the Chromium page
	Glycemic Control	Improves (the measure goes up)		9 studies	40 people
Studies that measured glycemic control The effects of inorganic chromium and brewer's yeast on glucose tolerance, plasma lipids, and plasma chromium in elderly subjectsAm J Clin Nutr · 1985 · PMID 3898805 Chromium picolinate supplementation attenuates body weight gain and increases insulin sensitivity in subjects with type 2 diabetesDiabetes Care · PMID 16873787 Chromium treatment has no effect in patients with type 2 diabetes in a Western population: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialDiabetes Care · PMID 17303791 and 6 more on the Chromium page
	Insulin	Changes; see studies		1 study	40 people
Studies that measured insulin A pilot study of chromium picolinate for weight lossJ Altern Complement Med · PMID 20192914
	Total cholesterol	Improves (the measure goes down)		1 study	40 people
Studies that measured total cholesterol Effects of niacin-bound chromium and grape seed proanthocyanidin extract on the lipid profile of hypercholesterolemic subjects: a pilot studyJ Med · PMID 11508317
	Triglycerides	Improves (the measure goes down)			40 people

Zinc

Blood glucose: improves
HbA1c: improves
Insulin: changes; see studies

Zinc: outcomes studied for Gestational Diabetes
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Blood glucose Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect		10 people
	HbA1c	Improves (the measure goes down)		1 study	10 people
Studies that measured hba1c Effect of zinc supplementation on glycemic biomarkers: an umbrella of interventional meta-analyses.Diabetol Metab Syndr · PMID 38849958
	Insulin	Changes; see studies		1 study	10 people
Studies that measured insulin Effect of zinc supplementation on insulin resistance and components of the metabolic syndrome in prepubertal obese childrenHormones · PMID 20045801
	Insulin Resistance	Improves (the measure goes down)			10 people

Inositol

Adiponectin: improves
Glycemic Control: improves
Blood glucose: improves

Inositol: outcomes studied for Gestational Diabetes
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Adiponectin Small Increase	Improves (the measure goes up)	Small effect		69 people
	Glycemic Control	Improves (the measure goes up)		4 studies	1,321 people
Studies that measured glycemic control Metabolic and hormonal effects of myo-inositol in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a double-blind trialEur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci · PMID 19499845 Myo-inositol administration positively affects hyperinsulinemia and hormonal parameters in overweight patients with polycystic ovary syndromeGynecol Endocrinol · PMID 18335328 Inositol Nutritional Supplementation for the Prevention of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Nutrients · PMID 35889788 and 1 more on the Inositol page
	Blood glucose	Improves (the measure goes down)		2 studies	142 people
Studies that measured blood glucose Inositol is an effective and safe treatment in polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Reprod Biol Endocrinol · PMID 36703143 Dietary supplementation with myo-inositol in women during pregnancy for treating gestational diabetes.Cochrane Database Syst Rev · PMID 27602537
	Gestational Diabetes Risk	Changes; see studies		1 study	1,321 people
Studies that measured gestational diabetes risk Myo-inositol may prevent gestational diabetes in PCOS womenGynecol Endocrinol · PMID 22122627

Fish Oil

Blood glucose
Hematocrit: improves
Offspring BMI: improves

Fish Oil: outcomes studied for Gestational Diabetes
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Blood glucose No effect		NoneNo effect		150 people
	Hematocrit	Improves (the measure goes up)		1 study	150 people
Studies that measured hematocrit Is fish oil supplementation effective on maternal serum FBS, oral glucose tolerance test, hemoglobin and hematocrit in low risk pregnant women? A triple-blind randomized controlled trialJ Complement Integr Med · PMID 29489457
	Offspring BMI	Improves (the measure goes down)		1 study	63 people
Studies that measured offspring bmi Randomized Controlled Trial of DHA Supplementation during Pregnancy: Child Adiposity OutcomesNutrients · PMID 28574453
	Glycemic Control	Improves (the measure goes up)			150 people
	Hemoglobin	Improves (the measure goes up)			150 people

Flaxseed

Glutathione (GSH)
Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC): improves

Flaxseed: outcomes studied for Gestational Diabetes
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Glutathione (GSH) No effect		NoneNo effect		429 people
	Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC)	Improves (the measure goes up)		1 study	429 people
Studies that measured total antioxidant capacity (tac) Flaxseed Oil Supplementation Augments Antioxidant Capacity and Alleviates Oxidative Stress: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med · PMID 34527059

Iodine

Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone: improves

Iodine: outcomes studied for Gestational Diabetes
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone	Improves (the measure goes up)		3 studies	437 people
Studies that measured thyroid-stimulating hormone Breast-milk iodine concentration declines over the first 6 mo postpartum in iodine-deficient womenAm J Clin Nutr · PMID 20702609 The effect of small increases in dietary iodine on thyroid function in euthyroid subjectsMetabolism · PMID 3340004 Iodine supply and thyroid function in women with gestational diabetes mellitus: a cohort study.Endocr Connect · PMID 39212589

Key findings

Blood glucoseFiberImproves (the measure goes down)
BilirubinSeleniumImproves (the measure goes down)
AdiponectinInositolImproves (the measure goes up)

The Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) protocol

2 primary supplements · 5 supporting supplements

Myo-Inositol2–4 g daily
Vitamin D1,000–4,000 IU daily (based on blood levels)

See the full protocol

Studies cited

1 study from PubMed

The effect of bedtime snacks on morning fasting blood glucose in gestational diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled trial.Acta Diabetol · PMID 39888449

Evidence by supplement

Key findings

The Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) protocol

Studies cited

Related conditions

Supplement stack for Gestational Diabetes