foodconsumer.org: Vitamin D may help reduce type 2 diabetes risk

Vitamin D may help reduce type 2 diabetes risk
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admin on 10/20/2009 00:44:00
 
Monday Oct 19, 2009 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study published in the Sept 200
9 issue of British Journal of Nutrition suggests that taking vitamin D
supplements may help prevent type 2 diabetes.
The small trial shows that taking 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily for six months
significantly improved insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance in South Asian
women.
Insulin resistance is a condition in which normal amounts of insulin do not
result in normal insulin response.  Insulin resistance leads to high levels of
insulin and glucose which are believed to be the origin of metabolic syndrome
and type 2 diabetes, according to wikipedia.
In the trial, the study group of 42 women were given 4,000 IU or 100 mug of
vitamin D3 while the control group of 39 women given placebo daily for six
months.  All women aged 23 to 68 years were insulin resistant and had serum
25(OH)D concentration at less than 50 nmol/L.  They were not taking diabetes
medications nor took vitamin D supplements in a dose of more than 25 mug.
P.R von Hurst and colleagues from Massey University in Auckland, New Zealand,
authors of the trial report, found a significant increase in the serum vitamin D
level from 21 to 75 nmol/L in women taking vitamin D supplements.
In the study subjects, insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance were
significantly improved in women on vitamin D3 supplementation compared to those
on placebo.  Fasting insulin was reduced in the study group and insulin
resistance was most improved when the serum 25(OH)D reached more than 80 nmol/L.
The researchers found supplementation of vitamin D3 did not change insulin
secretion and the optimal vitamin D concentrations for reducing insulin
resistance were 80 to 119 nmol/L.
Insulin resistance does not only raise risk of diabetes, but also obesity, high
blood pressure, type 2 abnormal cholesterol levels, heart disease and polycystic
ovarian syndrome in women, according to webmd.com.
For more information on vitamin D and diabetes, visit the website of Vitamin D
Council.
By David Liu - davidl at foodconsumer dot org