@being the bad part is many people have to stay on it indefinitely.

@Cyclist don't be one of them. Change your life for the better, research and find solutions...

@being thanks for the advice. I am a scientist, so I research and find solutions for a living.

@496sbc I know how clinical trials work. It is not something to be taken without close medical supervision. What can be dangerous is unregulated herbal “natural” supplements. Those are a free for all. In regulated medications one must always balance any small risk against the benefit. The benefit in this case is eliminating pre-diabetes, significantly increasing cardiovascular health, and having an overall better quality of life. The chances of moderate to severe complication from diabetes and an overburdened heart are virtually 100%. The chances of moderate to severe complications from this class of drugs are much less than 1%. But wait, if this medication is fairly new to the market how do we know this? It underwent roughly 10 years of clinical trials before it was approved.

@Cyclist so u say herbal supplements are dangerous but getting really sick is not dangerous.

@496sbc some, certainly not all, are mostly dangerous in their opportunity cost. They are dangerous if you believe that something that does not work will treat you, and as a result you do not seek proven treatment. Most known natural substances that work have been synthesized, purified, and concentrated by the pharmaceutical industry by now. It is their profit motive. They invest billions in developing new medications. They simply don’t pass on stuff that works. What is left in the alternative medicine cabinet is the stuff that doesn’t work. What works becomes mainstream. As from having adverse symptoms from a medication, that is common. Almost all medications have side effects. It is a matter of determining if the benefit is worth the side effect. In this case the side effect is temporary and goes away if I eat well. The benefit, as we already discussed, is permanent and substantial.