New study findings from researchers in Iran are reporting that drinking yogurt with extra vitamin D may help people with diabetes regulate their blood sugar.
To investigate, researchers divided 90 adults with diabetes into three groups. All three groups received daily yogurt drinks: one group received plain yogurt, one got yogurt with extra vitamin D, and one was given yogurt with extra vitamin D and calcium.
All the participants drank their assigned yogurt twice a day. The plain yogurt contained150 milligrams of calcium, the vitamin D-fortified yogurt had 500 international units (IU) of vitamin D and 150 milligrams of calcium, and the doubly-fortified yogurt contained 500 IU of vitamin D and 250 milligrams of calcium.
After three months, the plain yogurt group's average blood sugar increased from 187 to 203 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). In both the fortified-yogurt groups, blood sugar dropped from 184 to about 172 mg/dL.
The plain-yogurt group also had an increase in hemoglobin A1C, a sign of raised blood sugar levels over time, while both vitamin-D groups' A1C numbers decreased.
While the findings are promising, more studies are needed on the subject. Over the past 30 years, numerous studies have linked vitamin D to a lowered risk of diabetes, while others have found no link.
The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
To investigate, researchers divided 90 adults with diabetes into three groups. All three groups received daily yogurt drinks: one group received plain yogurt, one got yogurt with extra vitamin D, and one was given yogurt with extra vitamin D and calcium.
All the participants drank their assigned yogurt twice a day. The plain yogurt contained150 milligrams of calcium, the vitamin D-fortified yogurt had 500 international units (IU) of vitamin D and 150 milligrams of calcium, and the doubly-fortified yogurt contained 500 IU of vitamin D and 250 milligrams of calcium.
After three months, the plain yogurt group's average blood sugar increased from 187 to 203 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). In both the fortified-yogurt groups, blood sugar dropped from 184 to about 172 mg/dL.
The plain-yogurt group also had an increase in hemoglobin A1C, a sign of raised blood sugar levels over time, while both vitamin-D groups' A1C numbers decreased.
While the findings are promising, more studies are needed on the subject. Over the past 30 years, numerous studies have linked vitamin D to a lowered risk of diabetes, while others have found no link.
The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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