D is for diabetes prevention

You can file today’s topic under “tell me something I don’t know.” Because as you may recall, I’ve been telling you for years that vitamin D can help fight against diabetes.

But for as much as I like to complain about the dollars wasted on studies chasing answers we already have, I’m not going to do that now. (At least, not today.)

Why? Because the unfortunate reality is, mainstream medicine hasn’t met a nutritional supplement it wasn’t prepared to attack. So we obviously need all the ammo we can get for when the pendulum inevitably swings again.

And, well… you can’t really argue with this latest study.

“High-dose” intervention

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial—in other words, a gold standard—appeared recently in the European Journal of Endocrinology. Canadian researchers gave nearly 100 subjects, all prediabetic or newly diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, a placebo or 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily for six months.

I must point out this was considered “high dose” supplementation, according to the study authors. Which perfectly explains why we’re even having this conversation in the first place.

Because if researchers were actually using meaningful dosages every time, we wouldn’t need more studies telling us that vitamin D is a lifesaver. Instead, we’d all be taking it every day like we should. (But I’ll circle back around to that in a moment.)

Researchers measured insulin function and blood sugar markers at the beginning and end of the six-month trial period. And surprise, surprise… although fewer than half of the subjects were considered D deficient at the start of the study, D supplementation still improved insulin sensitivity and beta cell function after six months.

In other words, vitamin D supplementation slammed the brakes on diabetes progression, whether patients “needed” it or not. And that should tell you everything you need to know about our current standards for vitamin D “sufficiency,” too.

Summer’s no excuse to skimp

I realize we’re still in the dog days of summer—and the idea that you might not be getting enough sunshine to meet your daily quota of vitamin D may sound preposterous.

But believe it: You can supplement with lower doses of D during the summer IF—and only if—you get full mid-day sun exposure over most of your body… without toxic sunscreen… for 20 minutes per day… every day.

But in order to eliminate supplementation altogether, you’d also have to live in South Florida or the very Southern part of Texas. If you don’t, you absolutely need to take your vitamin D.

My minimum recommendations are 2,000 to 5,000 IU of D3, regardless of the season. And if you’re like me, and don’t get outside much thanks to long days at the office, you may still require 10,000 IU daily—even in the middle of August.

You won’t know for sure how much your body may need until you get tested. So for the millionth time, if you haven’t had your vitamin D levels measured lately, ask your doctor to check them today.

Just remember, a level of 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) might be sufficient. But it’s certainly not optimal. To get the best protection vitamin D has to offer, you want to aim for closer to 80 ng/mL instead.

P.S. If you suffer from prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, or metabolic syndrome, then I urge you to start my Metabolic Repair Protocol today. This drug-free plan has helped prevent and reverse such conditions—and allows you to feel the best you have in years. To learn more, or to enroll today, click here now!

Source:

“Vitamin D supplementation may slow diabetes progression.” Science Daily, 07/25/2019. (sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190725211631.htm)