Vitamin D may lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes, Brazilian study finds

31 Jan 2019 --- Vitamin D increases insulin sensitivity, causing glucose levels to drop and potentially decreasing the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. This is according to a new study published in The North American Menopause Society’s (NAMS) journal Menopause.

“Although a causal relationship has not been proven, low levels of vitamin D may play a significant role in Type 2 diabetes mellitus,” says Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, Executive Director at NAMS.

Previous studies have shown a link between vitamin D and glycemic control, suggesting that the vitamin is able to improve pancreatic beta-cell function and increase insulin sensitivity. This new cross-sectional study carried out in Brazil, aimed to evaluate the potential association of vitamin D depletion and increased glycemia. A total of 680 women aged 35 to 74 years old took part in the study, selected via systematic sampling. The researchers collected fasting blood samples to determine the levels of glucose and vitamin D. 

Of the women interviewed, roughly 4 percent reported that they took vitamin D supplements. These vitamin D supplements were found to negatively correlate with elevated glucose levels. Sun exposure – known to increase vitamin D levels – provided the same association, further proving that vitamin D deficiencies are associated with high glucose levels in the blood. 

“Vitamin D supplementation may help improve blood sugar control, but intervention studies are still needed,” Pinkerton says.

Studies on the possible benefits of vitamin D
Continuously emerging research on the properties of vitamin D has shown that it may positively affect health in a number of ways, ranging from cancer prevention to reduced risk for diabetes and heart attacks. 

According to a study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, vitamin D may play a key protective role in healthy pregnancies. The researchers noted that among women planning to conceive after a pregnancy loss, those who had sufficient levels of vitamin D were more likely to become pregnant and have a live birth, compared to women with insufficient levels of the vitamin.

On the obesity front, vitamin D supplementation may be part of an effective strategy to tackle childhood obesity and reduce the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, in adulthood, according to research presented at the 57th Annual European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology Meeting last October. 

Although vitamin D deficiency is typically associated with impaired bone health, in recent years it has been increasingly linked with increased body fat accumulation and obesity, with the precise nature of this relationship currently under intense investigation by researchers. 

Moreover, the long-awaited results of VITAL, the first randomized clinical trial of a general population large enough to adequately address questions surrounding the effects of vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids, showed that vitamin D can reduce cancer deaths over time. However, it must be noted that the VITAL team also found that vitamin D did not significantly affect heart attack, stroke or cancer incidence.