
Meta-analysis discovers repletion of vitamin D deficiency may help type II diabetes
A new meta-analysis discovered that the repletion of vitamin D deficiency may lead to HbA1C reductions among type II diabetes patients.
Diabetes is responsible for over 75,000 deaths each year in the U.S, making it the seventh leading cause of death. Approximately 29.1 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, with type 2 diabetes accounting for about 90 to 95 percent of adult cases.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition, in which the body resists the effects of insulin or doesn’t produce enough insulin to maintain a normal blood sugar level.
Insulin is a hormone made by pancreatic beta cells that regulates the body’s blood sugar level. Insulin secretion into the bloodstream enables sugar to enter the cells. This lowers the amount of sugar in the bloodstream.
Researchers propose that vitamin D may help diabetes by stimulating insulin secretion via the vitamin D receptors in the pancreas, lowering inflammation and thereby improving insulin resistance or improving insulin resistance through the vitamin D receptors in the muscles and liver.
Observational studies have established a clear relationship between low vitamin D levels and diabetes. However, whether vitamin D supplementation improves glycemic control is still up for debate. In an effort to resolve this argument, researchers recently conducted a meta-analysis of 22 randomized controlled trials that assessed the effects of vitamin D supplementation on glucose metabolism, specifically HbA1c and fasting blood glucose. HbA1c is a lab test that shows the average blood sugar (glucose) level over the previous three month
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