A recent study has revealed that Vitamin D supplements could help in lowering the risk of pre-diabetes patients from being diagnosed with full-blown type 2 diabetes. Dr. Anastassios Pittas of Tufts Medical Center in Boston and his team conducted a series of experiments, which culminated into positive results. The doctor and his team found that Vitamin D supplements were modestly effective in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes in the people who are in pre-diabetes stage.
Over the span of three years, less than 23% of study patients who used Vitamin D supplements developed type 2 diabetes, compared to 25% of those who were given placebo pills. On average, the study found that the supplements reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 15%.
However, one should note that these findings do not apply to those at average risk of the disease. Dr. Pittas also emphasized that no supplement would ever replace the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle, which includes a healthy diet and regular exercise.
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For the unversed, type 2 diabetes occurs when the body cells no longer respond to insulin, which is responsible for shuttling sugars from food into cells for energy. As the time passes, the level of sugar in the blood leads to multiple health problems such as heart, kidney, and eye diseases. On the other hand, pre-diabetes is a state where blood sugar levels are abnormally high. But not yet high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Pittas conducted this study to check the validation of an observation that diabetes is more prevalent in areas that are far away from the equator. The observation inspired Dr. Pittas and his team to believe that sunlight exposure could play a role in diabetes risk as it triggers the body to produce Vitamin D.
After conducting several studies and laboratory research, Dr. Pittas and team found a link between low Vitamin D levels and the risk of type 2 diabetes. After three clinical trials that tested if Vitamin D supplements could lower the odds of pre-diabetes progressing to type 2. Each trial showed that participants given Vitamin D did have a lower risk compared to those given a placebo.
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Dr. Pittas and his team conducted a meta-analysis of all the three trials, including more than 4,000 adults with pre-diabetes. The analysis concluded that just 23% of supplement users developed type 2 diabetes, compared to 25% of placebo users. The researchers pointed out that these findings suggest that Vitamin D supplements could delay diabetes in 10 million of the 374 million people worldwide with pre-diabetes.
Dr. Isaac Dapkins, the Chief Medical Officer of NYU Langone’s Family Health Centers in New York City, also commented on the study. He said that Dr. Pittas’ findings gives him the incentive to measure the Vitamin D levels in his patients with pre-diabetes, and Vitamin D supplement could be an easy, low-cost way to prevent Type 2 Diabetes.
Vitamin D supplements could offer a help in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes in the people suffering from pre-diabetes. However, it’s still important to follow a healthy lifestyle. Also, you should consult your doctor to determine the healthy level of Vitamin D consumption. As of now, the optimal dose of Vitamin D for pre-diabetes people is yet to be determined, but it’s suggested to not exceed 4,000 IU per day.
