Vitamin D May Reduce Diabetes Risk

In that Vitamin D deficiency has previously been linked to impaired insulin secretion in animals and humans, and has also been linked to insulin resistance in healthy, glucose-tolerant subjects, some research suggests that Vitamin D may modify the risk of type-2 diabetes.  J Mitri, from Tufts Medical Center (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues completed a meta-analysis of 8 observational cohort studies and 11 randomized controlled trials measuring vitamin D and diabetes.  The team found that Vitamin D intakes greater than 500 International Units (IU) per day were associated with a 13% reduction in the risk of type-2 diabetes.  As well, they observed that people with the highest blood levels of vitamin D, measured as more than 25 nanograms per milliliter, had a 43% lower risk of developing type-2 diabetes as compared to people with the lowest blood levels. Writing that:  “Vitamin D may play a role in type 2 diabetes,” the researchers urge further studies “to better define the role of vitamin D in the development and progression of type 2 diabetes.”