Vitamin D and Insulin Action and Secretion –An Overview of Current Understanding and Future Perspectives

Birkeland Kare I, Gulseth Hanne L, Wium Cecilie
European Endocrinology, 2010;6(2):13–8

Impaired vitamin D status has been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes. This review summarises the current knowledge of the effects of vitamin D on insulin action and secretion. Animal and in vitro studies suggest an effect of vitamin D on insulin action and secretion. The effects of vitamin D status in humans are not as clear, however, and cross-sectional data on insulin sensitivity and secretion are inconclusive. Intervention studies are few and often suffer from inadequate design including short duration, low sample power, low dose of vitamin D or use of indirect measures of insulin sensitivity and secretion. Despite some plausible biological mechanisms for an effect of vitamin D on both insulin secretion and action, more evidence is needed to decide whether vitamin D plays an important role in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes.

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See also VitaminDWiki

• Overview of Diabetes and Vitamin D
• All articles on Diabetes and Vitamin D
• Can Vitamin D treat Diabetes
• 4000 IU vitamin D improved glycemic control for type 1 diabetes – Nov 2010
• Low vitamin D predicts all cause mortality in Type 2 Diabetes – Oct 2010
• Review of vitamin D deficiency and diabetes – Aug 2010
• Type 2 Diabetes and vitamin D – Aug 2010
• CDC confirms association between more vitamin D and less insulin – Jan 2011
• Vitamin D with or without Calcium helped glycemic status – Feb 2011

Tables from paper - notice much better results when >4,000 IU DAILY