NEUHERBERG, Germany—Those with good vitamin D status have a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to researchers at German Research Center for Environmental Health (Helmholtz Zentrum München). Inversely, people with too low levels of vitamin D in the blood have an elevated risk.
The researchers say results of the study, conducted on participants of the KORA study, may have direct implications for the prevention of this widespread disease.
“Vitamin D deficiency is relatively common in Germany because of modern lifestyle factors and the geographic latitude. Especially during the winter months, vitamin D levels are often inadequate due to the lack of sunlight," said Dr. Barbara Thorand of the Institute of Epidemiology II of Helmholtz Zentrum München. “If follow-up studies confirm our findings, a targeted improvement of the vitamin D status of the population could also reduce the risk of diabetes."
