Vitamin D May Lower Type 2 Risk
Type 2 diabetes is gaining a toehold among children and adolescents, but a small study suggests that vitamin D may help keep the numbers from climbing. Researchers recruited 35 obese young people whose elevated blood glucose levels put them at risk for developing type 2 and who also had a vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency. Participants took either a high-dose vitamin D tablet or a placebo daily for six months. By the end, those taking vitamin D had lower blood levels of insulin and less insulin resistance than placebo takers, suggesting that the supplement improved glucose control. The authors say these findings support checking vitamin D levels in at-risk youth and correcting deficiencies to combat the development of type 2 diabetes.
Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, published online Feb. 13, 2013