Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. In 118 type 2 diabetics, those taking calcium and vitamin D had a 56.7% decrease in LDL (bad) cholesterol.
By the year 2030, the worldwide prevalence of diabetes is expected to increase by 51%, from 366 million people in 2011 to 552 million people, 90% of which will be type 2 diabetes (1). The latest statistics show there are 25.8 million Americans with diabetes, incurring a $174 billion annual cost to our healthcare system (2).
According the Centers for Disease Control, consuming the following foods are a way to help maintain healthy blood control: foods made with whole grains like breakfast cereals, oatmeal, whole grain rice, and whole-wheat bread, as well as dark green/orange vegetables, and beans and peas (3). Now a new study (4) suggests that supplementing with both calcium and vitamin D may be beneficial.
The study involved 118 type 2 diabetics (58 men, 60 women) between the ages of 43 and 58 and taking diabetes medication. They were divided into 4 groups for 8 weeks:
- 50,000 IU per week vitamin D (no calcium) = 29 subjects
- 1,000 mg per day calcium (no vitamin D) = 29 subjects
- 50,000 IU per week vitamin D + 1,000 mg per day calcium = 30 subjects
- Placebo (control group) = 30 subjects
Blood samples were taken before and after the study. After 8 weeks, the researchers noted the following:
| Calcium Only | Vitamin D Only | Calcium and Vitamin D | Placebo | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insulin (picomoles/Liter) | 11.3% decrease (48.8 to 43.3) | 22.4% decrease (36.7 to 28.5) | 38.7% decrease (38.3 to 23.5) | 6.4% increase (49.6 to 52.8) | 0.01 |
| HbA1C (%) | 6.1% decrease (6.6 to 6.2) | 2% decrease (6.6 to 6.47) | 10.5% decrease (6.7 to 6.0) | 0.8% decrease (6.9 to 6.85) | 0.02 |
| HOMA-IR | 1% decrease (2.2 to 2.18) | 1.1% decrease (1.9 to 1.88 ) | 20% decrease (2.3 to 1.84) | 1.2% decrease (2.6 to 2.57 ) | 0.001 |
| LDL Cholesterol | 7.75% decrease (2.4 to 2.22) | 8.6% decrease (2.1 to 1.92) | 56.7% decrease (2.4 to 1.04) | 2.3% decrease (2.2 to 2.15 ) | 0.04 |
For the researchers, “joint calcium–vitamin D supplementation [diabetes medication] might further help people with diabetes to control their glycemic profiles.”
Source: Tabesh, Marjan, Leila Azadbakht, Elham Faghihimani, Maryam Tabesh, and Ahmad Esmaillzadeh. “Effects of calcium–vitamin D co-supplementation on metabolic profiles in vitamin D insufficient people with type 2 diabetes: a randomised controlled clinical trial.” Diabetologia 57, no. 10 (2014): 2038-2047.
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
Posted January 22, 2014.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com
References:
- Whiting DR, Guariguata L, Weil C, Shaw J. IDF diabetes atlas: global estimates of the prevalence of diabetes for 2011 and 2030. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2011;94:311–21.
- “2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet” posted on the CDC website
- “Eat Right” posted on the CDC Website
- Tabesh M. Effects of calcium–vitamin D co-supplementation on metabolic profiles in vitamin D insufficient people with type 2 diabetes: a randomised controlled clinical trial. Diabetologia 2014 Oct;57(10):2038-47. doi: 10.1007/s00125-014-3313-x. Epub 2014 Jul 10.
