Vitamin D Prevents Type 2 Diabetes

Vitamin D reduces risk of getting type 2 diabetes

In recent health research, they followed more than 5,000 people while using logistic regression to evaluate associations between blood vitamin D levels and dietary calcium on the incidence of type 2 diabetes for 5 years in the 1999-2000 Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study.

Vitamin D & Type 2 Diabetes

Those found with the lowest blood levels of vitamin D, when compared to the highest, had a 57% greater risk of getting Type 2 Diabetes. Further, for each 25 nmol/L increment in serum 25OHD was found to be associated with a 24% reduced risk after adjusting for other risk factors for diabetes.

Vitamin D has been found to improve insulin sensitivity in previous research. The researchers found no link, however, between dietary calcium levels and risk of developing diabetes.

Critics of this study have claimed that being overweight and physically inactive, the highest risk factors for type 2 diabetes may actually have been the cause of the low vitamin D levels in the test subjects.

The devil is always in the details. Close examination of this study reveals that the researchers did in fact use statistical techniques, or multivariate analysis, to adjust mathematically for confounding factors; which included age, waist circumference, ethnicity, season, latitude, smoking, physical activity, family history of diabetes, dietary magnesium, hypertension, serum triglycerides, and fasting plasma glucose.

Reverse Type 2 Diabetes with Vitamin D Therapy

There are three mechanisms of action for vitamin D reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Possible mechanisms of action for blood levels of vitamin D reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes could either be its effect on β-cell function, the cells in the pancreas that secrete insulin, or on insulin resistance or in other words vitamin D's ability improve insulin sensitivity. Vitamin D could be effective, also, because it reduces inflammation in general.

Of course vitamin D is NOT the only health factor involved. A good way to reduce your risk of getting diabetes is still engaging in regular physical exercise and eating a healthy whole food diet.

Please read our Nutritional Supplements Disclaimer.

Vitamin D Prevents Type 2 Diabetes Comments:

References:

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, calcium intake, and risk of type 2 diabetes after 5 years: results from a national, population-based prospective study (the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study).
Gagnon C, Lu ZX, Magliano DJ, ...
Diabetes Care. 2011 May;34(5):1133-8. Epub 2011 Mar 23.
PMID: 21430082