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09.09.2022

Glucose level out of control? Maybe a vitamin D supplement helps

If you're in the process of developing type 2 diabetes, it's worth taking a look at your vitamin D too. If your vitamin D levels are low, vitamin D supplementation - or exposure to more sunlight - may make a difference.

Study
The researchers recruited 83 test subjects from hospitals who were well on their way to becoming diabetic and who were also vitamin D deficient. The researchers considered a level of less than 30 nanograms per milliliter to be vitamin D deficient.

The researchers gave half of the subjects a placebo during the 6 months of the experiment. The other half received a vitamin D supplement.

All subjects received lifestyle advice.

The researchers used a heavily dosed product from Zahravi Pharmaceutical, [zahravi.com] which contained 50,000 units of vitamin D per capsule. During the first 3 months of the study, the subjects took 1 capsule every week. During the remaining 3 months, the subjects took 1 capsule monthly.

Just before, during and at the end of the supplementation period, the researchers determined the HOMA-IR of the subjects. This means that, based on the insulin level and the glucose level before breakfast, they calculated how hard the body had to work to control the glucose level.

The higher the HOMA-IR, the worse things are.

Results
Vitamin D supplementation increased vitamin D levels. The average vitamin D level, expressed in nanograms per milliliter, rose from less than 15 points to somewhere around 40 points. That's still not optimal, but at least it's not in the deep red zone anymore.

The HOMA-IR was reduced by the vitamin D supplement. That is positive and the figure suggests a dramatic positive effect. However, you must realize that a HOMA-IR of 3 or higher indicates full blown diabetes - and that a HOMA-IR of 1 or less is healthy.

Supplementation moved the mean HOMA-IR from the diabetic zone to the top of the pre-diabetic area. This effect is positive, but you should not overestimate it.

Conclusion
"Supplementation with high-dose vitamin D3 in patients with prediabetes and hypovitaminosis D can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce the rate of progression toward diabetes", write the Iranians.

More coming soon.

Source:
Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2019 Feb;148:1-9.

More:
Vitamin D supplement plus life style modification keeps type 2 diabetes at bay (8-3-2022)
High vitamin D levels drastically reduce the risk of diabetes type-2 (25-4-2018)

Archives:
Insulin & Glucose Metabolism
Vitamin D
Vitamins

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