Results suggest vitamin D3 supplementation may delay the development of type 2 diabetes
Daily supplements of vitamin D may boost the function of the cells in
the pancreas that produce insulin, says a new study from Boston-based
researchers that supports the potential role of the vitamin for
pre-diabetics.
A daily 2,000 International Units (IU) dose of vitamin D3, also known as
cholecalciferol, was associated with a 25 percent improvement in the
functioning of beta cells in the pancreas, according to findings
published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Low levels of beta cell function in the pancreas predict the risk of
diabetes, said the researchers.
“These results suggested that vitamin D may have a role in delaying
the progression to clinical diabetes in adults at high risk of type 2
diabetes,” wrote researchers led by Anastassios Pittas from Tufts
Medical Center in Boston.
“Our results may also be relevant to patients with type-1 diabetes,
which is characterized by beta-cell failure; however, a specific study
in type-1 diabetes would be needed to test this hypothesis because the
underlying defect (autoimmunity) is different from type-2 diabetes.”
Study details
The study included 92 people with an average age of 57 and an average
BMI of 32 kg/m2. Participants were randomly assigned to receive vitamin D
(2000 IU per day) or calcium carbonate (800 mg per day). Participants
received either the vitamin D with or without calcium or calcium alone
for 16 weeks.
At the end of the study, a measure of the function of beta-cells was
improved in the people receiving vitamin D, with the so-called
disposition index (a measure of beta cell function in the pancreas that
includes measures of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity) improved
by about 26 percent, compared with a decline of about 14 percent in the
no-vitamin D group.
“Vitamin D improved the disposition index and insulin secretion,”
said the researchers, “but its effect on insulin sensitivity was not
significant, which indicated a predominant effect of vitamin D on the
pancreatic beta cell.”
The researchers added that there were no significant differences with
calcium compared with no calcium for any of their measures.
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