If you are overweight, chances are your blood sugar has been inching up, making you prediabetic. That means you’re at risk for becoming one of the 26 million Americans with diabetes. Research shows there’s a nutritional supplement you must take to help you avoid joining those unfortunate millions.
A study in India demonstrates that supplements of vitamin D can keep diabetes at bay if you combine them with a diet of filled with fruits and vegetables, and exercise consistently.
“Without healthy lifestyle changes, nothing works to prevent diabetes in at-risk individuals,” says researcher Deep Dutta. “However, our results are encouraging because the addition of vitamin D and calcium supplements is easy and low in cost.”
The study showed that every unit increase in vitamin D level after supplementation dropped the risk of diabetes by 8 percent.
The researchers looked at the health of 125 people with prediabetes who were low in vitamin D and gave them varying amounts of the nutrient. Of these, 68 people were given ready-to-mix, powdered vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) to take at a dose of 60,000 International Units (IU) once weekly for eight weeks and then monthly. They also received a daily 1,250-milligram calcium carbonate tablet.
The other 57 people only took calcium. Both groups were also instructed on how to eat healthier diet and encouraged to exercise 30 minutes a day.
The blood sugar levels in people getting vitamin D normalized in twice as many people as it did in the group that did not get the vitamin D supplements.
Healthwise
Healthwise
