Vitamin D may lower diabetes risk in obese kids

ISLAMABAD: Vitamin D supplements can help obese children and teens control their blood-sugar levels, which helps stave off diabetes, scientists say.

Being obese puts individuals at greater risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, a disease in which individuals have too much sugar in their blood, Live Science reported.

In the study "By increasing vitamin D intake alone, researchers got a response that was nearly as powerful as what we have seen using a prescription drug," said Catherine Peterson, an associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at Missouri University.

"We saw a decrease in insulin levels, which means better glucose control, despite no changes in body weight, dietary intake or physical activity," Peterson said.

All of those in the study had insufficient or deficient vitamin D levels and had similar diets and activity levels.

Those who took the supplement became vitamin D sufficient and lowered the amount of insulin in their blood. "The vitamin D dosage we gave to the obese adolescents in our study is not something I would recommend for everyone," Peterson said.

Adding vitamin D supplements to their diets may be an effective addition to treating obesity and its associated insulin resistance," Peterson added.