Calcium with Vitamin D lowers the risk of developing diabetes in pre-diabetics

Calcium and Vitamin D helps lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and this held true whether it is from supplements which were more protective, or food according to a review of the research. People with the highest intake of Calcium and Vitamin D had an 18% drop in the risk of diabetes vs. those with the lowest intake. Similarly those who ate the most dairy had a 14% lower risk of developing diabetes. The researchers from Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston and Harvard say the connection between higher levels of the nutrients with protection from diabetes may be due to important effects in the pancreas where insulin is made and in the body?s proper use of insulin both of which are indicated by studies. A few clinical trials have shown that Calcium and Vitamin D forestall the development of full blown diabetes in pre-diabetic patients based on their blood sugar levels. The scientists note that many Americans do not get enough Vitamin D or Calcium and supplementing their diets with the nutrients would be an easy, inexpensive way to prevent or treat type 2 diabetes. The study is published in the June 2007 issue the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Low levels of Vitamin D increases the risk of developing metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a condition characterized by a cluster of conditions including obvious belly fat, high blood pressure, and elevated blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides. 32% of Americans are estimated to have MetS. In this study 73 morbidly obese patients were recruited. 37 of these were deficient of Vitamin D according to existing parameters. 46 patients had metabolic syndrome. 33% of the obese subjects without metabolic syndrome had a deficiency in Vitamin D, but 60% of those obese individuals with MetS were deficient in Vitamin D. Those deficient in Vitamin D had higher triglyceride levels and lower levels of beneficial HDL than those with sufficient Vitamin D. The patients in the two groups in this study had a similar waist circumference and body fat percentage so the difference in the incidence of metabolic syndrome and poor blood fat levels may indeed reflect a true association between Vitamin D status and MetS, regardless of obesity. If a person is obese and they lack Vitamin D they have a risk of developing MetS. The study is published early online ahead of print in the journal Clinical Nutrition.