Vitamin D and Diabetes

Vitamin D is quickly becoming the "it" nutrient with health benefits for diseases, including cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease and now diabetes.
Adequate intake of vitamin D may prevent or delay the onset of diabetes and reduce complications for those who have already been diagnosed.
Many of the 23 million Americans with diabetes have low vitamin D levels. Evidence suggests that vitamin D plays an integral role in insulin sensitivity and secretion. Vitamin D deficiency results in part from poor nutrition, which is one of the most challenging issues for people with diabetes. Another culprit is reduced exposure to sunlight, which is common during cold weather months when days are shorter and more time is spent indoors.
Diet alone may not be sufficient to manage vitamin D levels. A combination of adequate dietary intake of vitamin D, exposure to sunlight, and treatment with vitamin D2 or D3 supplements can decrease the risk of diabetes and related health concerns. The preferred range in the body is 30 - 60 ng/mL of 25(OH) vitamin D.
Vitamin D deficiency also may be associated with hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, hypertension and heart disease. In fact, Penckofer recently published another study in Circulation that reported on the role of chronic vitamin D deficiency in heart disease.

Symptoms of Diabetes

It is not rare to have diabetes and be completely unaware. The main reason for this is that the symptoms, when seen on their own, seem harmless.
The most common diabetes symptoms are:
Frequent urination
Disproportionate thirst - If you are urinating more than usual, you will need to replace that lost liquid
Intense hunger
Weight gain - connected with the above symptom
Unusual weight loss - more common to people with Diabetes Type 1
Increased fatigue
Sexual dysfunction among men - If you experience frequent or constant sexual dysfunction (erectile dysfunction), it could be a symptom of diabetes.