Insufficient or Deficient Vitamin D Levels Linked to Higher Risk of Insulin Resistance

by | Jul 18, 2022 | 2022, Diabetes, Vitamin D - Recommended Levels

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Examining vitamin D serum levels and prevalence of insulin resistance using data from the 2011-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey show that those in the lowest serum vitamin D level group had 54% greater odds of being insulin-resistant compared to those in higher serum vitamin D level groups.

vitamin D capsulesVitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, plays a crucial role in immune system function 1. It is an important nutrient for proper calcium absorption and bone resorption, while also having the ability to reduce inflammatory levels in the body 2. Vitamin D deficiency is common worldwide, in the US population around 5.9% of people are considered vitamin D deficient (serum vitamin D concentrations of <30 nmol) and 24% of the US population is considered vitamin D insufficient (serum vitamin D concentrations of <50 nmol) 3. In recent years, vitamin D has gained prominence as a potential diabetes risk modifier due to vitamin D supplementation being linked to improved glycemic control, increased insulin production, and decreased insulin resistance 4.

Insulin resistance is a metabolic disorder that is increasing globally and is often referred to as metabolic syndrome (MS) 5. MS is a collection of interrelated conditions (dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, obesity, insulin resistance) that may lead to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases 6. Insulin resistance is a condition in which cells, particularly those of insulin-dependent metabolic tissues, stop responding to the stimuli of insulin 7. More than 80 million people in the United States alone currently have insulin resistance, which substantially increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes 8.

Tucker et al. conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the 2011-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to determine whether associations between vitamin D levels and insulin resistance exist. Subjects (n=6294) partook in two 24-h dietary recall assessments, along with a comprehensive 24-h dietary supplement assessment, with additional blood samples (particularly vitamin D serum levels and HOMA-IR to measure insulin resistance), BMI measurement, level of physical activity, smoking, and energy intake. To examine the possible connection between vitamin D exposure variables and HOMA-IR, two statistical analysis methods were used, and HOMA-IR was divided into quartiles with mean differences in vitamin D levels being compared using multiple regression and the SAS SurveryReg procedure. Results of the cross-sectional study are as follows:

  • Those in the lowest serum levels (quartile 1) had 54% greater odds of being insulin-resistant compared to those in quartiles 2, 3, or 4.
  • Comparing the highest quartile of serum vitamin D levels (quartile 4) to the lowest serum vitamin D quartile level (quartile 1) resulted in a 2.81 times higher odds of developing insulin resistance.
  • With all the covariates controlled, the odds of having insulin resistance increased to 67% for those with low (quartile 1) compared to high (quartile 4) serum vitamin D levels.
  • Subjects with the highest insulin sensitivity had the highest levels of vitamin D supplementation, and participants who did not supplement with vitamin D had 36-42% greater odds of being insulin resistant.

Results of this study suggest a significant association between serum vitamin D levels and insulin resistance. Further research should continue to explore the immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D. Study limitations include the cross-sectional design resulting in the inability to confirm casual inferences and the use of only one outcome measure of insulin resistance.

Source: Tucker, Larry A. “Serum, Dietary, and Supplemental Vitamin D Levels and Insulin Resistance in 6294 Randomly Selected, Non-Diabetic US Adults.” Nutrients 14, no. 9 (2022): 1844.

© 2022 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

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Posted July 18, 2022.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

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