New study links diabetes and thyroid disease with vitamin D

New research from the United States has found a further link between having higher levels of vitamin D in the body and a reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and an improvement in managing thyroid disease .
The study at Tufts Medical Center in Bosto, which monitored 2,039 patients at risk of diabetes and having high levels of blood sugar, involved patients who had had vitamin D deficiency tests had pre-diabetic blood sugar levels and were tested over a three-year period, with testing taking place after six months, after a year and then every year, and patients being split into groups depending on their levels.
It was found that for every 5 nanograms/milliliter of vitamin D, patients experienced a reduced risk of developing diabetes by eight per cent, while participants with vitamin D levels of 30 ng/ml, which is thought to be the ideal level, had a lowered risk of diabetes 38 per cent. For thyroid problems, adults with low levels of vitamin D are believed to be at a greater risk of poor thyroid functioning.
There are two kinds of vitamin D, that from foodstuffs such as orange juice, fish, cereals, eggs, margarine, yogurt and milk, and another that comes from sunlight. It is hoped that more research will bring evidence of the benefits of taking vitamin D supplements or increasing usage in the diet will lower the predisposition to diabetes.