Arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide, an essential compound and neurotransmitter that promotes blood circulation by dilating vessels and stimulates the secretion of insulin.

As reported in the journal Diabetes Care, a team of researchers from the UK and Italy mounted a study to examine the effect of arginine on insulin sensitivity.

The subjects included 12 type 2 diabetics with an average age of 58. None of the subjects were overweight and their only treatment for diabetes was diet modification. Ten non-diabetics served as control subjects, participating only in the testing portion of the study.

The 12-week study was divided into two phases. In phase one, subjects simply continued their normal diets for one month.

In the second phase, subjects were randomly divided into two groups. One group remained on their diet and received a placebo for two months. The other group did the same for one month, but in the final month the placebo was replaced with an arginine supplement: 3 grams, three times each day. Insulin sensitivity was monitored throughout the study.

Analysis of the data showed a four percent increase in insulin sensitivity in the control group, compared to a 34 percent increase in the arginine group. And although the arginine didn’t completely resolve insulin sensitivity issues, the change was a significant improvement. The arginine group as a whole also experienced a decrease in systolic blood pressure.

If you talk to your doctor and decide that arginine supplements might help your insulin management, here are two supplementing tips from Dr Allan Spreen:

“In my opinion arginine should not be taken with a protein meal. There are a limited number of receptors for protein substances (protein foods are composed of amino acids), so the supplement you paid good money for will be ‘diluted’ by the presence of other proteinaceous substances in the digestive neighbourhood. That is not true of most other supplements, which should be taken with food.

“For serious users I go with 1000 milligrams twice/day to three times/day between meals, and I’ve found that most of the amino supplements work better with some degree of exercise.”

And one last note for those who are dieting and exercising; arginine has also been shown to facilitate muscle metabolism by reducing body fat while increasing muscle mass.