Vitamin D helps fight diabetes mellitus?

A recent review suggests that taking vitamin D supplements may help treat type 2 diabetes mellitus in American Americans.  

The review found an inverse association between intake of vitamin D supplements and HbA1c levels.  HbA1c is considered an reliable indicator for the severity of diabetes mellitus.  The higher the score, the worse the condition is.

But vitamin D supplementation was not found associated with low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, or triglycerides or blood fat.

Hemoglobin A1c levels were found to be significantly different in patients receiving vitamin D supplementation between year 1 and year 2, and also between year 1 and year 3.

The review based on studies of participants aged 30 years or older concluded that in type 2 diabetes mellitus African Americans, vitamin D supplementation reduces HbA1c.

Green RT, Gambhir KK, Nunlee-Bland G, Odonkor WA, Ganta VA.  Maintenance of long-term adequate levels of vitamin d lowers HbA1c in African American patients with type 2 diabetes.  Ethn Dis. 2014 Summer; 24(3):335-41. (David Liu)