Nutraceuticals as a New Approach in Management of Diabetic Nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a fatal diabetic complication, is a prime reason of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), which is pathologically identified by thickened tubular basal and glomerular membranes, amassed extracellular matrix (ECM), and developing meningeal hypertrophy. Various deformities in the signaling pathway can interact to give rise to these pathologic activities in DN. In spite of the accessibility of numerous approaches to prevent these metabolic changes which include proper diet, exercising regularly, control of weight and control of drugs, epidemiological data are observing the growing tendency of the complication, indicating both the multifactorial nature of these disorders as well as the scarce conformance of patients to begin strategies. A number of Nutraceuticals utilized in clinical practice were shown to aim the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus, metabolic disorder and their complications and to favorably modify numerous biochemical and clinical endpoints. These compounds comprise of antioxidants, vitamins like vitamin C, E, D; Omega 3 fatty acids, alpha lipoic acid (ALA), dietary fibers, flavonoids, phytoestrogens and minerals like chromium, magnesium. Various areas of concern prevail with regard of the use of nutraceuticals and dietary supplements in this setting, inclusive of standardization of products, potential side effects, definition of dosing regimen, interaction of drugs and need for evidence based interactions.