Vitamin D may improve pancreas function

11.07.2011 [16:47]
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Baku, July 11 (AZERTAC). Vitamin D supplements reduced risk factors for type 2 diabetes by improving the function of insulin-producing cells in pre-diabetic volunteers, a new study has found.

Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, affects millions of Americans. The condition is characterized by high blood-sugar levels resulting from the body`s poor response to insulin, a chemical that removes sugar from the bloodstream and stores it in the liver and muscles. Insulin is made by beta cells in the pancreas.

To see whether taking vitamin D would improve people`s ability to handle blood sugar, researchers gave 92 pre-diabetic adults either vitamin D3 supplements, calcium supplements, both, or placebos. After four months, the participants` blood was tested for several known diabetes risk factors.

The measures included hemoglobin A1C, an indicator of blood-sugar levels over time, and beta-cell function, as reflected by how much insulin is being released and how well the body responds to it.

At the outset, participants were considered pre-diabetic if they were overweight and had blood-sugar levels that were above normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetic.

The researchers found that vitamin D significantly increased the beta-cell function of pre-diabetic adults, according to results published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The vitamin D group also had slightly more favorable hemoglobin A1C levels.

Calcium had no effect on beta-cell function, either alone or in combination with vitamin D.

Previous research has explored the connection between vitamin D and diabetes, with mixed results. Several studies have shown that people with low levels of vitamin D may be at a higher risk for diabetes, but most have been unable to demonstrate that vitamin D supplementation can help prevent diabetes.

Vitamin D may improve pancreas function

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