U.S. and Japanese research reveals: Vitamin D may only benefit "1 group" in reducing the risk of diabetes
Vitamin D helps improve immunity and strengthen bones? There are still differing opinions on the actual effects
“Vitamin D” is an important nutrient required by the human body and helps promote bone and muscle health. In fact, there is still a lot of controversy about the effect of vitamin D supplements. Some studies believe that insufficient vitamin D intake will lead to the risk of premature death; some literature also points out that frequent vitamin D supplementation in the elderly may double the risk of dementia and death. Some studies Questions have been raised about the effectiveness of vitamin D supplements in preventing fractures, as they may not be as effective as expected.
Taken together, it is not difficult to see that there are still many paradoxes in the research related to vitamin D supplements; the academic community still has no consistent view on the effects of vitamin D supplements on improving immunity and bone health. However, research on vitamin D supplements is still in full swing. A recent paper published in “Annals of Internal Medicine” stated that vitamin D supplementation may be related to the prevention of type 2 diabetes.
Can taking vitamin D help prevent diabetes? Study: May only be beneficial for people with “pre-diabetes”
The study was jointly sponsored by the United States, Japan and Norway. The research team extracted a total of 4,105 citation data from three major paper databases: “PubMed”, “Embase” and “clinicaltrials.gov” to conduct a meta-analysis and systematic review. Among them, 44 papers and 270 data records were screened; 3 trials met the review criteria, all of which were previous studies led by the study author Anastassios G. Pittas.
The research team included a total of 4,190 subjects from the United States, Japan, Norway and other places, with an average age of 61 years old. The research team required the subjects to supplement 4000IU of “Cholecalciferol” or “Eldecalcitol” every day. Data analysis showed that compared with the placebo group, “pre-diabetic” patients who supplemented vitamin D had a 15% lower chance of developing type 2 diabetes and a 3.3% lower absolute risk of developing diabetes after 3 years.
The study also emphasized that the chances of subjects experiencing adverse events such as kidney stones, hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria and death were extremely low, and the risks caused by side effects were within a controllable range. Even so, the dose of 4,000 IU used in the study for patients with prediabetes is far more than the recommended dose of the International Society of Endocrinology (1,500-2,000 IU). The subsequent impact on the subjects requires further observation.
The dose used in the study was “on the verge of exceeding the standard”? Editorial Warning: Too much vitamin D may cause adverse effects
An editorial published in the same issue of “Annals of Internal Medicine” states that the maximum intake recommended by government agencies for vitamin D supplements “without significant adverse effects on health is set at 100 micrograms per day.” (4,000IU)". The dose used in this study is just on the edge of exceeding the standard. Will it have any impact on the subjects’ bodies? Worth following further.
The editorial cited a previous randomized clinical trial on vitamin D as an explanation: One of them was from 2018. Adult participants took 250 micrograms (10,000IU) of vitamin D per day. The risk of adverse reactions was reported 1 to 3 years after the end of the study. Increase. Malachi J. McKenna, author of the editorial, pointed out that high-dose vitamin D supplements may help prevent type 2 diabetes in patients with prediabetes, but they may also cause harm to the body.
Not everyone can take vitamin D? Doctors point out that “four groups” must be taken according to the doctor’s instructions
According to the above-mentioned studies, the correlation between vitamin D and the prevention of diabetes does need to be further confirmed. However, it is true that many patients face different physical problems and require vitamin D prescription drugs prescribed by doctors to maintain basic body functions. Dr. Hong Weijie, director of the Department of Preventive Medicine at E-Da Hospital, pointed out that unlike the cholecalciferol “inactive vitamin D3” used in the above-mentioned studies, in order to be eligible for health insurance to prescribe active vitamin D3 (calcitriol), certain conditions need to be met, such as:
Vitamin D-dependent rickets or hypophosphatemia rickets.
Hypothyroidism.
Hypocalcemia caused by chronic renal insufficiency.
Postmenopausal women suffering from spinal compression fractures or hip fractures, etc.
Dr. Hong Weijie emphasized that these groups have specific disease states themselves, such as poor renal function, hypoparathyroidism, and even spinal compression fractures or hip fractures. Because other osteoporosis drugs cannot be used together, other osteoporosis drugs cannot be used together. Since the drug effect is more obvious than that of active vitamin D3, active vitamin D3 is rarely prescribed as the main treatment drug; and it is mostly used by patients with low renal function.
Dr. Hong Weijie reminded that vitamin D3 and calcium are still of significant importance to osteoporosis. Patients who have previously used vitamin D3, especially those with osteoporosis, are not recommended to stop using it directly because of excessive concerns about side effects. It is important that patients also discuss the dosage and administration of the prescription with their attending physician to avoid exacerbating the original disease.
Source:
Vitamin D and Risk for Type 2 Diabetes in People With Prediabetes
Preventing Type 2 Diabetes With Vitamin D: Therapy Versus Supplementation
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