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Friday, April 2, 2010

Blood Levels of Vitamin D Do Not Predict Insulin Secretion or Sensitivity in People with Metabolic Syndrome

Page Changed: Helpful Supplements for Diabetes

A study of 446 European subjects diagnosed with metabolic syndrome found no relationship between blood concentrations of vitamin D and insulin secretion or sensitivity. In this group 20% had vitamin D levels over 30 ng/ml (75 nmol/L). This may suggest that the low vitamin D levels seen in people with diabetes are a result, not a cause of their blood sugar disorder.

Serum Vitamin D Concentration Does Not Predict Insulin Action or Secretion in European Subjects With the Metabolic Syndrome. Hanne L. Gulseth et al. Diabetes Care April 2010 vol. 33 no. 4 923-925. doi: 10.2337/dc09-1692

1 comment:

TedHutchinson said...

Irrespective of the argument does raising Vitamin D directly improve insulin resistance or not we are all aware that
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In type 2 diabetics, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is 20% higher than in non-diabetics, and low vitamin D levels nearly double the relative risk of developing CVD compared to diabetic patients with normal vitamin D levels. see
Vitamin D regulates macrophage cholesterol metabolism in diabetes
vitamin D influences multiple known mechanisms responsible for the increased vascular inflammation seen in diabetic patients: it improves peripheral insulin action, suppresses the renin–angiotensin system, decreases systemic inflammatory mediators of vascular disease and imbues immune cells with anti-inflammatory properties....This study reveals a novel mechanistic link between vitamin D deficiency in diabetic-derived macrophages and foam cell formation, a critical step in the development of atherosclerosis.

Humans only store Vitamin D after our daily needs for the vitamin have been met in full. It's only above 40ng/ml 100nmol/l that we are able to measure Vitamin D stored in tissue cells and because of individual variability in response to vitamin D, either from supplements or from sunlight, it's only when 25(OH)D levels are above 50ng/ml that we can be sure everyone not only has met their daily needs but also has a reserve supply of stored D3 to cope with any crisis.
Only when researchers use EFFECTIVE amounts of D3 (in the region of 1000iu/daily/d3 per 25lbs weight for each individual participant in the trial) for long enough to attain and maintain levels over 50ng/ml 125nmol/l will we begin to see the evidence mount up.