High-dose vitamin D may prevent pre-diabetes becoming type 2 diabetes

An analysis of three trials found that taking high doses of vitamin D prevented hyperglycemia from progressing to type 2 diabetes. increase

Regular intake of high doses of vitamin D may slightly slow the progression of type 2 diabetes in people with high blood sugar levels, an analysis of existing trials found. However, high doses of vitamin D can also cause kidney stones and other health problems.

In type 2 diabetes, which usually begins in middle age and is associated with being overweight, cells become less responsive to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels.

Some people have “pre-diabetes.” This means that blood sugar levels are higher than what is considered normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes.

Because vitamin D encourages pancreatic cells to make more insulin, it is being investigated to see if high doses can help prevent type 2 diabetes. In three randomized trials in pre-diabetic subjects taking either weekly or daily, depending on the trial, there was only a modest effect on the rate of progression to type 2 diabetes. found that these effects may have occurred by chance.

Now, Anastasios Pittas and his colleagues at Tufts Medical Center in Boston are combining the results of three trials, a standard practice in medical research. This suggests that taking high doses of vitamin D reduces the rate of prediabetes progressing to type 2 diabetes by 15%. His number of over 4000 participants in the combined analysis means that this result was statistically significant and classified as not due to chance.

However, the amount of vitamin D used in the trial (equivalent to about 70 micrograms per day) is much lower than the 10 micrograms per day recommended by the UK Dietary Guidelines and the 15 micrograms per day recommended in the United States. was common in

High levels of vitamin D may enhance calcium absorption from the intestine, leading to dehydration-induced kidney stones and kidney damage. No serious side effects were seen, but the trial may have been too small to show these relatively rare adverse events, says Malachi McKenna of University College Dublin, Ireland. who wrote the article.

Pittas says high-dose vitamin D may need to be viewed as a doctor-supervised treatment rather than a supplement someone buys and takes at home. It’s risky,” he says.