A national study involving the Pennington Biomedical Research Center debunks the thought that taking vitamin D significantly lowers the chances of a person with pre-diabetes developing type 2 diabetes.

Assistant LSU professor and local site investigator Daniel Hsia says there was a thought that vitamin D’s anti-inflammatory properties would have an effect on diabetes, but…

“They wanted to see at least a 25 percent decrease in the conversion from prediabetes to type 2   diabetes. That threshold was never reached.”

It’s estimated that 575,000 Louisianans have diabetes, and 1.3 million are at high risk of developing the disease.

The study looked at 2,423 people in 22 centers across the nation and did find one potentially interesting avenue for future research. Hsia says a health vitamin D level is 30, but in the 110 people who had a deficient level of the vitamin…

“It’s really difficult to make a determination, but in those people, who had low vitamin D levels, there did appear to be a difference.”

Hsia says the research reinforced the well proven notion that a simple, time tested prescription is still the best way to avoid developing diabetes.

“We do know from large studies like the diabetes prevention program that ultimately diet and exercise trumps everything.”

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