Vitamin D supplements may reduce risk of type 2 diabetes, researchers say
By
Mallika Marshall, MD
/ CBS Boston
BOSTON - Vitamin D supplements may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in some people.
Researchers at Tufts Medical Center reviewed three previous studies and found that among adults with prediabetes, or slightly elevated blood sugar, those taking vitamin D supplements reduced their risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes by 15-percent.
It is still not clear what dose or formulation of vitamin D provides the most benefit which needs to be studied.
And if you wonder whether you should be taking vitamin D supplements, consult your primary care provider.
Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.