A new study has established that taking vitamin D supplements could lower the risk of Type II diabetes for almost 400 million people at risk globally. Researchers from Tufts Medical Center indicate that the supplements may result in a 15% drop in the risk of developing diabetes in most prediabetics. 

Vitamin D can help lower the risk of Type II diabetes 

Prediabetes is characterized by higher than-average glucose levels in the blood but is not significant enough to be diagnosed as Type II diabetes. They still have a higher chance of getting the condition down the road. Throughout their study, the researchers looked at and evaluated three clinical trials.

Throughout a 3-year follow-up interval, they discovered that 22.7% of persons who got vitamin D experienced new-onset diabetes, as opposed to 25% of those in a placebo. The researchers then used these findings to predict how vitamin D supplementation might affect pre-diabetic persons globally. They discovered that low-cost vitamin D supplements helped prevent diabetes from developing.

Chief of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Tufts Medical Center, Dr. Anastassios Pittas, said that the result demonstrates that vitamin D can be instrumental in lowering diabetes in individuals with high-risk prediabetes. Pittas explained that this could have considerable public health implications for millions globally at risk of diabetes. 

More unknowns about the right dosage of vitamin D

The researcher explains some unknowns, such as the optimal vitamin D dosage needed and whether individuals should target a specific vitamin D level in the system to maximize this benefit. Pittas added that they plan to design more studies to address these unknowns. 

The risk of acquiring diabetes appeared reduced considerably in the vitamin D group compared to the placebo arm in studies that were particularly designed to investigate the idea that vitamin D decreases the likelihood of advancement to diabetes in adults with prediabetes.

Vitamin D is common in foods like red meat, egg yolks, and oily fish. Also, the body can produce it when UV rays from the sun strike the skin.