Prevention of type 2 diabetes is primarily about lifestyle.
According to Health, experts recommend a healthy diet with fewer carbohydrates, along with regular exercise.
In some cases, medication may also be relevant for people with elevated blood sugar levels. These methods are well documented and are already used in treatment.
At the same time, there are warnings against excessive intake of, for example, vitamin D.
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High amounts can accumulate in the body and lead to side effects such as nausea and kidney stones, according to the National Institutes of Health.
A new study
A new analysis from JAMA Network Open is based on a larger study from 2019 involving around 2,100 people with prediabetes.
At the time, no overall effect of vitamin D on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes was found.
However, in the new analysis, researchers took a closer look at specific groups.
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They discovered that individuals with certain levels of vitamin D in the blood had a lower risk.
Differences in genes
The researchers also examined genetic differences in the body. These genes influence how the body uses vitamin D.
The results showed that approximately 70 percent of participants with certain gene variants had a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, while the rest experienced no effect.
This suggests that vitamin D may only benefit some individuals, depending on their genetic makeup.
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Vitamin D does not appear to be a general solution, but it may potentially be used in a more targeted way in the future.
Sources: Health, National Institutes of Health, and JAMA Network Open.
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