Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin required for healthy bones, immune system, nervous system, muscles and heart. Few foods are good sources of vitamin D. Up to 90 percent of vitamin D used in the body is made in the skin with the help of sunlight, according to MedlinePlus, an online resource of the National Institutes of Health. With increasing domestication and increased use of sunscreen, it is estimated that one billion people in the world are deficient in vitamin D. This poses a significant public health challenge, especially with the advent of new evidence suggesting the importance of this vitamin in preventing debilitating chronic diseases such as diabetes.
Vitamin D and Type 1 Diabetes
The onset of type 1 diabetes usually occurs early in life. The destruction of pancreatic beta cells by abnormally active immune cells leaves the body deprived of the source of insulin, the principle hormone to lower blood sugar. A landmark study published in the November 2001 issue of "Lancet" revealed a strong link between vitamin D intake at infancy and the risk of type 1 diabetes. The study followed 10,366 children in northern Finland from birth for 30 years. Children who routinely took a vitamin D supplement at the dose of 2,000 international units had an 88 percent reduction in the risk of type 1 diabetes compared with children who were not supplemented. A review published in "Canadian Medical Association Journal" in 2006 pointed out that a child in Finland is 400 times more likely to develop type 1 diabetes than a child in Venezuela, a place with plenty of sunshine.
Vitamin D and Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes usually occurs later in life. However, with the obesity epidemic, the disease now occurs in young children as well. A review conducted by Tufts-New England Medical Center and published in the "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism" in 2007 revealed an inverse relationship of vitamin D status and incidence of type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes was 64 percent lower in individuals with highest level of 25-OH vitamin D, a marker of vitamin D status, compared with those with the lowest level. Moreover, people with the highest intake of vitamin D and calcium had an 18 percent reduced risk of type 2 diabetes compared with those with the lowest intake.
Vitamin D Deficiency and Diabetes
These studies suggested that deficiency in vitamin D may be a predisposing factor for both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. In fact, the Finland study found that the risk of type 1 diabetes was three times higher in children with rickets, a disease of vitamin D deficiency, compared with children without rickets. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients have higher incidence of vitamin D deficiency, and variation in genes involved in vitamin D metabolism is associated with glucose intolerance and insulin resistance, both of which are hallmarks of type 2 diabetes, according to a review published in Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America in 2010.
Correcting Vitamin D Deficiency
Mayo Clinics Proceedings reported that 36 percent of otherwise healthy young adults suffer from vitamin D inadequacy. Up to half of black teens may be vitamin D deficient, according to Nemous Foundation. Correcting the deficiency requires a large dose of vitamin D, typically in the dose of 50,000 international units, once a week for eight weeks. After reaching a sufficient level, maintain it with a daily vitamin D dose of 1,000 to 2,000 international units. Large dose of vitamin D requires a prescription. Check with your physician for the supplement options and have your serum 25-OH vitamin D checked before and after the treatment.
References
- Pubmed.gov: Type 1 Diabetes: Pathogenesis and Prevention
- Pubmed.gov: Intake of vitamin D and risk of type 1 diabetes: a birth-cohort study
- AJCN: Vitamin D: importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis; Holick MF; 2004
- J Clin Endocrinol Metab.; The role of vitamin D and calcium in type 2 diabetes. A systematic review and meta-analysis; Pittas AG et al.; 2007
- Pubmed.gov: Vitamin D and Diabetes
- Mayo Clinic Proceedings; High prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy and implications for health; Holick MF; 2006
Member Comments