Vitamin D supplements won't help prevent diabetes

May 27, 2022 | News On Japan

May 27, 2022 (usnews.com) - While vitamin D may have other benefits, preventing type 2 diabetes in high-risk adults does not appear to be one of them.

A new Japanese trial found no significant difference among study participants who used a vitamin supplement and those who took a placebo.

"Although treatment with eldecalcitol [an active form of vitamin D used to treat osteoporosis in Japan] did not significantly reduce the incidence of diabetes among people with prediabetes, the results suggested the potential for a beneficial effect of eldecalcitol on people with insufficient insulin secretion," the researchers said.

For the study, Tetsuya Kawahara from the University of Occupational and Environmental Health in Kitakyushu, Japan, and colleagues assessed whether eldecalcitol could reduce type 2 diabetes risk in 630 individuals with impaired glucose tolerance. They were compared to 626 participants who received a placebo.

The individuals were recruited from three hospitals in Japan between 2013 and 2019. With an average age of 61, about 46% were women and 59% had a family history of type 2 diabetes. They were tested for diabetes every three months over three years.

The upshot: Researchers found no meaningful differences between the groups. ...continue reading

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