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is because during pregnancy,“ vitamin D is important for helping beta cells of the pancreas to keep up with growing insulin demand. It helps the thyroid glands make calcitonin, the hormone that moves calcium into the tissues where it needs to go.
Calcitonin triggers the release of insulin from the beta cell « pockets » in which is it stored in the pancreas, keeping up with the greater demand for insulin by mother and developing child.” Also, a group of infants were supplemented by regular vitamin D with cod liver oil, which is an oil rich in omega-3, vit D and other nutrients, of 50 mg / d in the 1960s. Within this group, a markedly reduction in the risk of type 1 diabetes 30 years later in comparison with unsupplemented infants has been observed. In a Norwegian pilot case – control study, maternal cod liver oil supplementation during pregnancy was also associated with a reduced risk of type 1 diabetes in the offspring. However, this association was not confirmed in a larger series. It is not certain that the reduced rate of type 1 diabetes is due to vitamin D found in cod liver.“ The protective effect of cod liver oil might have been due to other nutrients than vitamin D, e. g. n-3 fatty acids. The long-chain n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid have anti-inflammatory effects, which may be protective against type 1 diabetes.”
But in other two cohort studies, a weak association is found between maternal intake of vitamin D from food or use of vitamin D-containing supplements during pregnancy and decreased risk of early beta cell autoimmunity. However, the results of these studies remain inconsistent. For example, in a Swedish study,“ the use of vitamin D-containing supplements during pregnancy was associated with decreased autoimmunity against one autoantibody when children were 1 year old but not at later ages”. Also, in a US cohort“ maternal intake of vitamin D from food but not from supplements during pregnancy was associated with a decreased risk of islet autoimmunity appearance in the offspring.”
CONCLUSION Growing body of research suggests that vitamin D might play some role in the prevention and treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. However, there is still some controversy. More research still needs to be done on human beings in order to provide conclusive evidence. Up until now, more research has been conducted in vitro, animal and epidemiological studies. Until high quality, large-cohort studies are conducted, the implications of the available evidence for public health and patient care will be debated.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Arora, Chander P..“ Role of vitamin D in modulating gestational diabetes.” in Biopolymers and Cell, 2011, 27:2.
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Hyppo¨ nen E..” Vitamin D and increasing incidence of type 1 diabetes— evidence for an association?” in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism 12: 2010.
Marjamäki L. at all.” Maternal intake of vitamin D during pregnancy and risk of advanced beta cell autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes in offspring” Diabetologia 2010, vol. 53.
Maxwell, Christy S. & Richard J Wood.“ Update on vitamin D and type 2 diabetes,” in Nutrition Reviews, 2011, Vol. 69( 5).
Mutlu, Ajda et all.” Vitamin D deficiency in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes” in J Clin Res Pediatr En docrinol 2011; 3( 4).
Senti, Jeanine at all.” Maternal Vitamin D Status as a Critical Determinant in Gestational Diabetes. JOGNN, 2012, vol. 41.
Troen, Bruce R.,” Do Vitamin D Levels Influence the Risk of Diabetes Mellitus and Play a Role in Healthier Aging?” in JAGS 2011, vol. 59.
7 Jeanine Senti at all.” Maternal Vitamin D Status as a Critical Determinant in Gestational Diabetes. JOGNN, 41, 2012. p. 328
8 Chander P. Arora” Role of vitamin D in modulating gestational diabetes” Biopolymers and Cell. 2011. Vol. 27. N 2. P. 86
9 Chander P. Arora. p. 89 10 L. Marjamäki at all.” Maternal intake of vitamin D during pregnancy and risk of advanced beta cell autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes in offspring” Diabetologia( 2010) 53:1600