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Research Shows This Underconsumed Nutrient Improves Blood Sugar Levels

How vitamin D impacts blood sugar balance.

In a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from BMC Endocrine Disorders, scientists investigated the theorized anti-diabetic properties of vitamin D–such as its ability to regulate insulin secretion (i.e., insulin sensitivity), modulate healthy inflammatory responses, and down-regulate elevated parathyroid hormone levels.

Researchers looked at 46 RCTs that consisted of 2,164 intervention participants and 2,149 placebo controls. They found that increased vitamin D supplementation reduced the following measurements in participants with type 2 diabetes:

Significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose (FPG), a measurement used to detect short-term blood glucose.Slightly reduced hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), a measurement used to detect long-term blood glucose. Significantly reduced homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), a robust tool for the assessment of insulin resistance.
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Considering more than 37 million Americans have diabetes1 (90% of whom have type 2 diabetes), and another 96 million U.S. adults have prediabetes2, the significance of these findings can’t be overstated.

Findings also suggest that vitamin D supplementation results in significant reductions in FPG and HbA1c for individuals with vitamin D deficiency, but not in participants with vitamin D insufficiency or sufficiency.

How to achieve & maintain healthy vitamin D levels.

The problem? Reaching and sustaining sufficient vitamin D status is much easier said than done. In fact, 29% of U.S. adults3 are deficient in vitamin D.

You see, foods with vitamin D don’t have large enough amounts to make a dent in vitamin D levels–especially in individuals that are already deficient. “What about sunshine?” you may ask. Unfortunately, sunlight isn’t a reliable source of vitamin D production for most people either, as it’s influenced by a number of factors (e.g., age, biological sex, latitude, climate, time of year, skin tone, sunscreen use, and how much skin is exposed to sun).

The optimal manner to effectively reach and sustain healthy vitamin D status (which leading wellness experts agree is a blood serum measurement of 50 ng/ml or higher) is through daily vitamin D supplementation.

That said, not any vitamin D supplement will do–many deliver sub-efficacious doses, feature inferior forms, or fail to prioritize bioavailability. (To see the products mindbodygreen trusts to sustain optimal D levels, check out our guide to the best vitamin D supplements.)

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The takeaway.

Science suggests that optimizing daily vitamin D intake can help individuals with type 2 diabetes (especially those with vitamin D deficiency) improve their insulin sensitivity and lower their blood sugar levels.

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