Quick answer
Ask your pharmacist or doctor before combining. NIH documents two supplements for insulin, chromium and CoQ10, and both concern blood sugar. NIH says chromium might raise the body's sensitivity to insulin, which could raise the risk of low blood sugar, and NCCIH says CoQ10 may interact with insulin.1,2
Key facts
- NIH says chromium might increase the body's sensitivity to insulin, which could raise the risk of low blood sugar.1
- NCCIH says CoQ10 may interact with the diabetes drug insulin.2
- The National Cancer Institute's summary says CoQ10 can decrease insulin requirements in people with diabetes.3
- MedlinePlus warns that insulin glargine may change blood sugar and asks people to know the symptoms of low and high blood sugar.4
What does insulin do, and why do supplements matter with it?
MedlinePlus describes insulin glargine, its example here, as a long-acting insulin used for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It replaces insulin the body normally makes and moves sugar from the blood into other tissues. The page warns that the medicine may change blood sugar, so people should know the symptoms of low and high blood sugar.4
Both entries below are about blood sugar. One says a supplement might make insulin act more strongly, and the other says a supplement can lower the amount of insulin some people need.1,3
Can chromium change how much insulin you need?
Ask your pharmacist or doctor first
Chromium might increase the body's sensitivity to insulin, so taking it with insulin could raise the risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), according to NIH.1,5
Expected from how the two work, not shown in studies
This entry is labeled expected, which means NIH describes a possible effect, not one measured in studies of chromium with insulin. NIH's consumer sheet also says researchers do not fully understand what chromium does, which is one more reason to raise it with your prescriber.1
Low blood sugar, called hypoglycemia, is the risk the entry names. MedlinePlus tells people who use insulin to learn the symptoms of low and high blood sugar and what to do about them.4
Does CoQ10 matter if you use insulin?
Your doctor may want to check on you
CoQ10 may interact with insulin. An NIH summary says it can lower the amount of insulin people with diabetes need, so tell whoever prescribes your insulin before starting it.2,3
Expected from how the two work, not shown in studies
Two NIH pages sit behind that entry. NCCIH says CoQ10 may interact with warfarin and with the diabetes drug insulin, and the National Cancer Institute's summary says CoQ10 can decrease insulin requirements in people with diabetes.2,3
Which supplements should a person with diabetes avoid?
This page does not give a general list for diabetes. It covers insulin only, because the official sources describe interactions one medicine at a time. A person who takes a tablet such as metformin has a different set of entries, and a supplement that matters for one medicine may not matter for another.4
The metformin pages for chromium, niacin and vitamin B12 are linked below this page. The sources checked do not address other diabetes medicines, which is not a finding either way, so ask your pharmacist.
What about supplements for insulin resistance?
Searches for supplements for insulin resistance reach this page because the words overlap, but the question is different. This page does not rate any supplement for insulin resistance, and the sources behind it are about interactions with insulin medicine, not about whether a supplement works.
If you are thinking about a supplement for blood sugar, take it to your doctor or pharmacist first, especially if you use insulin.4
What do 'expected' and 'reported in studies' mean for these two entries?
| Supplement | What the entry says | How it is known | Label shown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chromium | Might raise the body's sensitivity to insulin, which could raise the risk of low blood sugar | Expected from how the two work | Ask your pharmacist or doctor first |
| CoQ10 | May lower the amount of insulin people with diabetes need | Reported in studies | Your doctor may want to check on you |
Neither entry rests on an insulin label. Both are NIH statements about possible effects, so neither carries the avoid label.
What to ask your pharmacist if you use insulin
Questions people ask
What supplements should you avoid with insulin?
The sources checked document two to ask about, chromium and CoQ10, and describe no supplement to avoid outright. Both concern blood sugar, so tell whoever prescribes your insulin before starting either.1,2
What vitamins should you not take with insulin?
Neither documented supplement is a vitamin: chromium is a mineral and CoQ10 is a compound the body makes. The sources checked do not address vitamins with insulin. That is not a finding either way, so ask your pharmacist.3,5
What supplements interact with insulin?
NIH documents two: chromium might make insulin act more strongly, and CoQ10 can lower the amount some people need. The sources checked do not address others, which is not a finding either way, so ask your pharmacist.1,2
What supplements should a diabetic avoid?
This page covers insulin only. For a tablet such as metformin, see the chromium, niacin and vitamin B12 pages linked below, and ask your pharmacist about any other diabetes medicine.
Can you take vitamins with diabetes medication?
MedlinePlus asks people using insulin to tell their doctor and pharmacist about every vitamin, nutritional supplement and herbal product they take or plan to take. Ask before you start one.4
What supplements can help with insulin resistance?
This page does not rate supplements for insulin resistance. It documents what NIH says about taking chromium or CoQ10 with insulin, so ask your doctor about any supplement you are considering for blood sugar.1
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Sources
- Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Chromium: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated March 22, 2021. Opened 2026-10-07.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Coenzyme Q10. Last updated January 2019. Opened 2026-10-07.
- PDQ Integrative, Alternative, and Complementary Therapies Editorial Board. Coenzyme Q10 (PDQ): Health Professional Version. National Cancer Institute. Updated October 31, 2024. Opened 2026-10-07.
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Insulin Glargine (rDNA origin) Injection: MedlinePlus Drug Information. Last revised August 15, 2026. Opened 2026-10-11.
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Chromium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated June 2, 2022. Opened 2026-10-07.
This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.