Vitamin D May Lower the Risk of Diabetes in Obese Adolescents

Vitamin D Supplementation

In April, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a report suggesting that vitamin D3 supplementation could lower the risk of developing diabetes. 

In an article in “Life Extension”, 35 adolescents were randomized to receive a placebo or 4000 IU of vitamin D3 per day for six months.  Blood samples were taken at the beginning of the study, at 3 and 6 months, and analyzed for Vitamin D, fasting glucose, and insulin as well as other factors.

The study revealed the body mass index (BMI) and glucose levels were similar between the two groups at the end of the trial but those who had received Vitamin D3 had significant increases in serum 25-hydroxy Vitamin D as well as a reduction in fasting insulin.  As insulin is a storage hormone, this was a significant find.  By increasing Vitamin D, a significant decline in fasting insulin occurred similar to that of any powerful prescription drug.  Per Dr. Catherine Peterson, an associate professor of nutrition and physical exercise at the University of Missouri, “We saw a decrease in insulin levels, which means better glucose control, despite no changes in body weight, dietary intake, or physical activity”.

The study revealed that obese individuals process Vitamin D half as efficiently as normal-weight people.  It was explained that Vitamin D gets stored in fat tissue which keeps it from being processed normally.  As such, obese patients would consume twice as much Vitamin D as their lean peers just to maintain sufficient levels of Vitamin D, a key vitamin in human function.  

The message for clinicians was to check Vitamin D status in their obese patients as they were likely to have insufficient amounts.  This has proved true even in SAII's aging patient base and adding Vitamin D3 to their diets is seen as an effective addition to treating obesity and its associate insulin resistance which heightens weight gain and stifles weight loss.

For more information about the Risk of Diabetes in Obese Adolescents, or for general health information, please feel free to contact us at Southwest Age Intervention Institute.