Higher intake of Zinc may reduce the risk of developing diabetes in women

A new Harvard study involving 82,297 women aged 33 to 60 taking part in the Nurses’ Health Study shows that over the course of 24 years, 6,030 of these women developed type-2 diabetes. After relating the incidence of the disease with data obtained from a validated food frequency questionnaire, the researchers note that women with higher total intakes of the mineral Zinc had a reduction of up to 28 per cent in their risk of developing diabetes. The results of the study are published online ahead of print in the journal Diabetes Care January 26th, 2009. Commentary by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph.: there is mounting evidence that particular nutrients found in your multiple vitamin decrease the risk of developing diabetes. A number of studies show that lacking vitamin D increases your risk of developing diabetes and that supplementing with vitamin D improves insulin sensitivity. Recent studies show that Calcium in conjunction with D3 may even offer protection from Type 1 Diabetes. Research also shows that the mineral Magnesium and Vitamin C reduce the risk of developing diabetes.