New Research on Vitamin D Therapy for Diabetes Prevention

A health care leader in the Houston community, Rodney Goodie serves as CEO of the St. Hope Foundation, a federally qualified health center. The conditions of which Rodney Goodie oversees treatment while employing a collaborative care model range from Hepatitis C to diabetes.

With causes related to hypertension, obesity, and elevated cholesterol, type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas is no longer able to produce enough insulin, the hormone which regulates glucose levels in the bloodstream, or when the body cannot make full use of the available insulin.

As reported in the journal Diabetes & Metabolism, Australian researchers at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research recently discovered a preventive method of targeting vitamin D receptors. When a high-glucose environment occurs, vitamin D receptors are not expressed as much in beta cells, which in turn impacts the ability to generate needed insulin. The research suggests that treating vulnerable beta cells with vitamin D may be vital in delaying type 2 diabetes onset and in regenerating the health of individuals who already have the condition.