MedScape recently reported a study of several trials concerning the beneficial effects of Vitamin D:

Intake of ordinary doses of vitamin D supplements seems to be associated with decreases in total mortality rates, according to a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials published in the September 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

“Ecological and observational studies suggest that low vitamin D status could be associated with higher mortality from life-threatening conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes mellitus that account for 60% to 70% of total mortality in high-income countries,” write Philippe Autier, MD, and Sara Gandini, PhD, from the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France. “We examined the risk of dying from any cause in subjects who participated in randomized trials testing the impact of vitamin D supplementation (ergocalciferol [vitamin D2] or cholecalciferol [vitamin D3]) on any health condition.”

In an even more relevant body of research published by Michael F. Holick, M.D., Ph.D., Vitamin D appears to have great potential as a strategy for preventing diabetes and other autoimmune responses.

“Several studies suggest that vitamin D supplementation in children reduces the risk of type 1 diabetes. Increasing vitamin D intake during pregnancy reduces the development of islet autoantibodies in offspring.

For 10,366 children in Finland who were given 2000 IU of vitamin D per day during their first year of life and were followed for 31 years, the risk of type 1 diabetes was reduced by approximately 80% (relative risk, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.89).

Among children with vitamin D deficiency the risk was increased by approximately 200% (relative risk, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.0 to 9.0). In another study, vitamin D deficiency increased insulin resistance, decreased insulin production, and was associated with the metabolic syndrome.

Another study showed that a combined daily intake of 1200 mg of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D lowered the risk of type 2 diabetes by 33% (relative risk, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.90) as compared with a daily intake of less than 600 mg of calcium and less than 400 IU of vitamin D. ”

Source: From the Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, Nutrition, and Diabetes, the Vitamin D, Skin, and Bone Research Laboratory, Boston University Medical Center, Boston. Address reprint requests to Dr. Holick at Boston University School of Medicine, 715 Albany St., M-1013, Boston, MA 02118, or at mfholick@bu.edu N Engl J Med 2007;357:266-81. Copyright © 2007 Massachusetts Medical Society.

Now here’s where this gets interesting. Since Vitamin D is so readily available, will industry get behind this and sponsor the research that needs to continue? Oh yeah, you can’t patent sunshine - a great source of Vitamin D and something that we all get less of today vs. 100 years ago. Hopefully our friends inside of ADA and JDRF can put this important research on their agenda and see to it that this makes rapid progress. In fact, from what I’ve read Vitamin D supplementation is probably a good thing to do anyway and the risk of overdose or adverse effects would require massive amounts so it’s pretty safe.

Why wait on more research when you can take a walk today? That’s a 2-for-1!

This is the next in a series of article excerpts by me discussing all forms of diabetes and metabolic syndrome and which were originally published in the Caller Times and reposted here with permission. You can also download an mp3 file of me reading this article here.

Eating healthy? Are you sure?

… Clear and dark regular sodas are equal in calories, assuming that the amount served is the same. Sugar-free food products don’t contain added sucrose (table sugar) but can be loaded with calories from other nutrients, such as fat. In other words, “sugar free” does not mean “calorie free.”

The take-home message: Read the label.

The recommended amount of fruit juice for a toddler is between 4 and 6 ounces a day. Anything more is excessive. The children’s meal at McDonald’s in 2007 is was what was sold to adults in 1971. French fries are considered “vegetables” by the USDA and, yes they are the No. 1 vegetable given to American toddlers.

So think twice when you tell the doctor that you eat healthy. Make better choices and work to change your lifestyle habits and those of your kids.

The rest of this article is posted in the archives at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Registration is required using your email address and a password that you select and manage.