Insulin resistance is having a moment in the public eye, and for good reason: it is incredibly common, often goes undiagnosed for years, and is the root of many health issues that get written off or treated as individual symptoms. 

The good news? Insulin resistance highly responsive to lifestyle and behavioural changes, as well as evidence-based supplements. While supplements can’t replace the foundations of health (nutrition, stress, sleep, exercise, hydration, and nervous system regulation), targeted supplementation along with lifestyle changes are a useful and effective way to get your insulin response back on track. Read on to learn about the supplements that actually move the needle when it comes to managing blood sugar response. 

Every time you eat carbohydrates—whether it’s a bowl of oatmeal, a sweet potato, or a handful of gummy bears—your body breaks them down into glucose, which enters your bloodstream. In response, your pancreas releases insulin, a hormone that unlocks glucose from the blood and brings it into cells to be used for energy. Insulin receptors are the lock; insulin is the key that allows glucose inside the cell.

A diet that is high in refined carbohydrates and added sugars means your pancreas is constantly pumping out insulin to manage repeated blood sugar spikes. Over time, your cells can become less responsive to insulin’s signal: this is insulin resistance. Your body is still producing insulin, but it’s not working effectively. Instead of glucose being allowed inside the cell where it can be used, your body stores the excess glucose as fat tissue. The cell never gets the glucose, so you continue to crave carbs, and the cycle continues.

Food quality matters just as much as quantity here. Ultra-processed foods, sugary drinks, low-protein, and low-fiber diets tend to cause a blood sugar rollercoaster that demands more insulin, fast. Conversely, “rainbow carbs” and meals rich in fiber, protein, and healthy fats tend to cushion the blow of carbohydrates and slow the absorption of glucose, which keeps insulin levels steady. Balance is the goal, not perfection. 

While food is one of the biggest factors to consider when managing insulin resistance, others have meaningful research behind them when it comes to improving insulin sensitivity:

• Exercise: Muscle mops up glucose, giving insulin an easier time. Resistance training, weight training, HIIT workouts, and walking after meals help muscles utilize glucose more efficiently, with or without insulin’s help.

• Sleep: Even just one or two nights of poor sleep can significantly impair insulin sensitivity, leading to blood sugar spikes and crashes.

• Stress management: Chronic stress elevates cortisol, which keeps your body in survival mode and raises blood sugar levels. Evolutionarily speaking, if you’re running from a bear, your body will want to flood you with glucose for quick energy. This is helpful when it’s actually a bear, but less helpful when it's your boss’s email hitting your inbox. Over time, this cortisol-glucose cycle contributes to insulin resistance.

• Body composition: The fat stored around organs is called visceral fat and drives insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes through excess fatty acids dumping into the liver and causing inflammation that later impairs insulin signalling. There is a catch—insulin in itself is a fat-storage hormone, which means insulin resistance can make it harder to lose weight and keep weight off. Muscle is the tissue of longevity because it keeps you sensitive to dietary glucose. Having that balance of lean muscle to low body fat is key to metabolic health.

NAC is a precursor to glutathione—your body’s master antioxidant. Chronic oxidative stress and inflammation are both drivers of insulin resistance, and NAC can support reducing that damage at a cellular level. It improves insulin signalling directly by reducing inflammatory markers that interfere with how your cells respond to insulin.

The research is compelling when it comes to PCOS/PMOS because NAC has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, reduce triglyercide levels, lower androgen levels, and perform comparably to metformin (an insulin-sensitizing medication).

Dose: 500 to 1200 mg daily, split into two or three doses

Form: Capsules are well tolerated

Food sources: NAC is not found in food, but its precursor, cysteine, is present in high-protein foods such as chicken, eggs, and legumes—again, not in therapeutic amounts, so supplementation can be beneficial.

Find NAC in the Female Fertility Power Prenatal Pack.

Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, so it is not surprising to learn that it plays a direct role in how your cells respond to insulin. Research shows that those with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes tend to have lower magnesium levels than those without. Whether low magnesium contributes to insulin resistance, or insulin resistance uses up magnesium (high insulin causes high excretion of magnesium through the urine), there is a direct correlation. 

Beyond insulin sensitivity, magnesium supports sleep, stress response, and muscle recovery.

Dose: 200 to 400 mg daily

Form: Magnesium bisglycinate is best for most people, as it is well absorbed and gentler on digestion than other forms like magnesium oxide (causes loose stools). 

Food sources: Leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, seeds, nuts, black beans, and avocado. Using both food and supplementation together is a reasonable approach to boost magnesium levels.

Find 200 mg of Magnesium bisclycinate in the Calcium + Magnesium + Vitamin D Boost.

Berberine is found in several herbs including goldenseal and barberry, and it works primarily by activating an enzyme called AMPK—ometimes referred to as the body’s metabolic master switch. When AMPK is activated, your cells take up glucose more efficiently, improving overall insulin sensitivity.

What makes berberine so interesting is its comparison to metformin in clinical research showing comparable effects on fasting blood sugar, insulin levels, and HbA1c (a marker of average blood sugar over 3 months). That said, berberine is not for everyone because it is potent, can interact with medications, and is not recommended during pregnancy.

Dose: 500 mg two to three times daily with food.

Form: Capsules; look for berberine HCl, which is the most well-researched form.

Food sources: Not meaningfully available through food sources, so supplements are the way to go.

Chromium is a trace mineral that has been studied for its role in insulin sensitivity for many years. It enhances insulin’s actions on a cellular level by helping insulin better bind to its receptors, leading to efficient glucose uptake. Chromium supplementation can reduce fasting blood glucose and improve insulin sensitivity, especially in those who are already chromium-deficient—which is common in individuals with diets high in refined carbohydrates.

Dose: 200 to 1000 mcg daily; most studies use 200 to 400 mcg as an effective and safe range.

Form: Chromium picolinate is the best absorbed and most studied form.

Food sources: Broccoli, green beans, beef, eggs, and whole grains—but supplement form is where you will reach therapeutic dosing.

Find Chromium in the Female Fertility Power Prenatal Pack and the Complete Prenatal Pack.

Not all cinnamons are equal. The classic cinnamon sitting in most spice racks is cassia cinnamon, which contains higher levels of a compound called coumarin, which can be toxic to the liver in large amounts. Ceylon cinnamon contains significantly less coumarin and improves insulin sensitivity through a few mechanisms:

• Slows gastric emptying

• Mimics insulin’s activity on a cellular level

• Improves the function and sensitivity of insulin receptors

Ceylon cinnamon is a simple, low-risk addition to a broader protocol.

Dose: 1 to 3 g daily with meals

Food source: Ceylon cinnamon; used in cooking, added to coffee, oatmeal, smoothies. Food-based intake with meaningful impact.

CoQ10 has many benefits ranging from heart health to fertility to insulin resistance. It is found naturally in our cells and plays a role in energy production, specifically in the mitochondria where glucose is converted into fuel. When mitochondrial function is impaired, insulin signalling often suffers alongside it, resulting in oxidative stress. The antioxidant effects of CoQ10 support the mitochondria and reduce inflammation on a cellular level, which drives insulin resistance.

Research shows that those with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome tend to have lower CoQ10 levels, and supplementation leads to improvements in metabolic markers such as fasting blood sugar, insulin levels, and also in markers of oxidative stress and inflammation. Statins are a commonly prescribed medication for high cholesterol (often a condition of insulin resistance), and are known to deplete CoQ10, making supplementation especially relevant for those on that medication.

Dose: 100 to 300 mg daily

Form: Both ubiquinol and ubiquinone are effective.

Food sources: Organ meats, fatty fish, and beef, but supplementation is necessary to meet therapeutic doses.

Insulin-producing cells of the pancreas have vitamin D receptors, and vitamin D acts as a hormone in the body and directly improves insulin sensitivity. Vitamin D deficiency is correlated with high rates of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes—and given how common deficiency is (especially in northern climates with limited sun), this is one of the gaps likely to exist in your routine.

K2 is paired with D for a practical reason: vitamin D increases calcium absorption from food in the gut, and K2 directs calcium away from soft tissues (eg., arteries) into bones and teeth. In those with insulin resistance, there are often cholesterol and cardiovascular issues happening at the same time since they all fall under conditions caused by metabolic syndrome. This highlights the importance of keeping the cardiovascular system clean of calcium accumulation through the use of K2.

Dose: Vitamin D: 1000 to 2000 IU daily (test your levels first); K2: ~120 mcg daily as MK-7

Form: Capsule or liquid. Exists in a combined supplement for ease, but can supplement separately if desired. 

Food: Vitamin D: fatty fish, egg yolks, fortified foods,; K2: hard cheeses and egg yolks (small amount), and fermented foods such as natto.

Find 1000 IU in the Female Fertility Power Prenatal Pack, Complete Prenatal Pack, Gentle Prenatal Pack, and Calcium + Magnesium + Vitamin D Boost.

Omega-3s—specifically EPA and DHA, the forms found in fish oil—are extremely well-studied, and their role in insulin resistance comes down mainly to their anti-inflammatory effect. Living with chronic, low-grade inflammation is a key driver of insulin resistance, and omega-3s reduce it while improving cell membrane function, which helps insulin better bind to its receptor. Omega-3s have been shown to reduce triglycerides, which is a marker in the cholesterol blood panel that is often elevated alongside insulin resistance.

Some studies show meaningful improvement of insulin sensitivity with omega-3s, and others show modest effects. That said, the general metabolic and cardiovascular benefits of omega-3s are well established and remain a worthwhile addition, especially for those who have a diet low in fatty fish.

Dose: 1000 to 2000 mg of combined EPA and DHA daily.

Food sources: fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel); algae-based supplements for those who do not eat fish, although they tend to be higher in DHA.

Find Omega-3 (DHA + EPA) in all of our capsule packs.

• Detox teas and “metabolism boosting” tricks and supplements: these products are largely unregulated, lack quality control and research, and often rely on temporary fixes like laxatives or diuretics to slim you down quickly rather than impact insulin signalling
• Eating low-calorie or crash diets: severe calorie deficits increase cortisol and stress hormones, which work against insulin sensitivity because it puts you in survival mode
• Excessive caffeine: moderate amounts of caffeine can be neutral or mildly beneficial for some individuals, although high dosses have been shown to temporarily impair insulin sensitivity and cause blood sugar dysregulation in some studies
• Apple cider vinegar as a cure-all: while ACV can be a good starting point to blunt post-meal blood sugar spikes, it is not a substitute for the nutrients stated above
• Mega-dosing any single supplement: more is not always better; several supplements listed above come with increased risk of side effects and high doses.

Insulin resistance is developed over time, and there is no single supplement that will undo years of metabolic strain on its own. But the research is very encouraging, speaking to the value of supplementation layered on top of the foundational work of nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, hydration, and nervous system regulation.

If you are dealing with insulin resistance—or suspect you might be—the most useful next step is talking to a healthcare provider who can test your levels, rule out contributing factors, and help you build a protocol rooted in individualized care.