Vitamin D may help avert early onset of insulin resistance

(HealthDay)—Early intervention with vitamin D in deficient individuals may help ward off early onset of insulin resistance, according to a study published online Feb. 18 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

Sigal Tepper, Ph.D., from Ben-Gurion University in Beer-Sheva, Israel, and colleagues randomly assigned 130 men without diabetes (average age, 47.52 years) who had 25(OH)D serum levels <20 ng/mL to treatment (100,000 IU vitamin D bimonthly) or placebo.

The researchers found, after adjusting for baseline levels, age, body mass index, sun exposure, physical activity, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, that there were significant differences in insulin and homoeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR ) between groups. In the treatment group, levels of insulin and HOMA-IR remained steady, but they increased by 16 percent in the control group (P = 0.038 and 0.048, respectively).

"Further studies are needed to establish the long-term effect of vitamin D supplementation on the risk of diabetes," the authors write.