Getting Enough Vitamin D Significantly Decreases Diabetes Risk In Folks With Prediabetes

It's no secret our nation has a serious metabolic health issue; 22 million U.S. adults1 aged 20 or older are diagnosed with diabetes, while approximately 78 to 84 million have prediabetes. (That's 34% to 37% of the adult population!) 

Vitamin D plays a key role in glucose metabolism and insulin secretion. As such, evidence suggests that this essential fat-soluble vitamin—or, more specifically, the amount you have in your body—impacts your likelihood of developing diabetes.

Considering 29% of U.S. adults2 are deficient in vitamin D and another 41% are insufficient, it's entirely possible the link between vitamin D and diabetes is stronger than we fully understand. 

In this review, researchers analyzed three different randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to see whether increasing vitamin D intake for an individual with prediabetes can effectively lower their risk of developing diabetes. Two of the RCTs tested vitamin D3 (aka cholecalciferol) intake—specifically, 20,000 IU weekly and 4,000 IU daily—while the third tested eldecalcitol (a vitamin D analog).

Interestingly, within the group of test participants that increased their vitamin D3 intake (rather than eldecalcitol), those that maintained a vitamin D blood serum level of 50 ng/ml or higher (i.e., the truly optimal vitamin D level we should be aiming for, according to experts) during the three-year follow-up reduced their diabetes risk by a whopping 76% compared to participants that had serum levels of 20 to 29 ng/ml (i.e., clinical insufficiency). 

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient with whole-body health benefits. This review shows just how valuable vitamin D intake is for maximizing your overall metabolic health—especially if you have prediabetes.