“Can low vitamin D worsen my diabetes?”
I have been on my diabetes medicine since I was a teenager, but my sugar levels are not coming down. My blood test results, however, showed that my level of vitamin D is quite low. Could there be a connection?
5 Answers
No. Easy one.
Vitamin D is a potent anti-inflammatory factor, besides its protective effects on the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, its importance in calcium absorption and bone growth and its nourishing effects on the gut microbiome. Diabetes mellitus features inflammation as the process through which it damages the organism. Low vitamin D levels leave us vulnerable to the complications of diabetes mellitus , namely blood vessel and nerve damage. One of the first steps in diabetes management should be to correct vitamin D deficiency.
There is evidence that vitamin D deficiency can worsen diabetes. It is very simple and inexpensive to correct vitamin D deficiency with a daily supplement. The amount depends on how low the vitamin D level is.
YES
This is a good question to which we have no definitive answer. There are several studies in the literature that say yes, several that say no and many that say maybe. In any event, get your vit. D up & see if it helps. If not look for other problems. If you have been treated since teenager, I would guess you have Type 1 diabetes & take insulin. There are many possibilities here 1) wrong insulin type 2) wrong dose 3) wrong distribution between basal & bolus insulin 4) incorrect carb counting or other dietary calculations. I would suggest some continuous glucose monitoring to determine the problem. An insulin pump with a continuous glucose sensor would be a good suggestion for you. Good Luck
