People with good vitamin D status have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. The study, carried out at the Helmholtz Zentrum München in collaboration with the German Diabetes Center in Düsseldorf – both members of the “German Center for Diabetes Research” (DZD) and the University of Ulm, will be published in the October issue of “Diabetes Care”.
New research on participants of the KORA study has shown that people with too low levels of vitamin D in the blood have an elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This effect may be partly due to the anti-inflammatory effect of vitamin D.
“Vitamin D deficiency is relatively common in Germany because of modern lifestyle factors and the geographic latitude. Especially during the winter months, vitamin D levels are often inadequate due to the lack of sunlight,” said Dr. Thorand of the Institute of Epidemiology II of Helmholtz Zentrum München. If people spend sufficient time outdoors the human body can produce vitamin D on its own. Moreover, the supply of vitamin D can be improved by choosing the right foods (e.g. fatty fish, eggs, dairy products) or taking vitamin D supplements.
The findings of the study, which was carried out at Helmholtz Zentrum München in collaboration with Dr. Herder of the German Diabetes Center Düsseldorf and Professor Koenig of the University of Ulm, may have direct implications for the prevention of this common widespread disease.