Vitamin D deficiency was the most common issue, according to new research.
Key Takeaways
- Almost half of people with type 2 diabetes have multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies, with vitamin D being the most common, according to a new meta-analysis.
- Vitamin and mineral deficiencies may impact glucose metabolism.
- Addressing deficiencies, particularly through diet, may lead to improved glycemic control, fewer diabetes complications, and better overall health.
Nearly half of people with type 2 diabetes are deficient in important vitamins and minerals, according to a new meta-analysis.[1]
Researchers in India pooled data from 132 studies published between 1998 and 2023 that involved more than 50,000 participants with type 2 diabetes.
Key findings included:
- Vitamin D deficiency affected 60 percent of people in the studies.
- Magnesium deficiency affected 42 percent.
- Iron deficiency affected 28 percent.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency affected 22 percent overall, and 29 percent of people taking metformin.
- Women were more likely to experience micronutrient deficiency (49 percent) compared with men (43 percent).
Interestingly, the prevalence of micronutrient deficiency among people with type 2 diabetes was 45 percent — but 40 percent in people with diabetes-related complications.
“While this might seem counterintuitive, it could be attributed to increased medical attention and dietary modifications often recommended for individuals with complications, which may lead to better supplementation and correction of deficiencies. However, further research is needed to verify this observation and explore possible explanations,” says lead coauthor Daya Krishan Mangal, MD, professor of medicine at IIHMR University in Jaipur, India.
How Do the Vitamin Deficiencies Found Compare With People Without Diabetes?
Because of a dearth of relevant research, it’s impossible to draw comparisons between people with type 2 diabetes and the general population, according to researchers.
But available data suggests that a higher percentage of people with type 2 diabetes have vitamin and mineral deficiencies compared with healthy individuals without type 2 diabetes, says Dave Bridges, PhD, an associate professor of nutritional sciences and a member of the Diabetes Institute at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, who was not involved in the study.
The nutrient shortfalls found in the study all have different connections with type 2 diabetes, says Dr. Bridges.
Vitamin D
“It’s been known for a long time that low vitamin D is associated with increased risk of diabetes and increased risk of complications to diabetes,” says Bridges.
Although there was some initial excitement around vitamin D supplementation as a way to help prevent type 2 diabetes, randomized controlled trials haven’t shown that it has much of an effect, he says.[2]
“So right now, the evidence that vitamin D plays a role in causing type 2 diabetes is pretty weak,” he says.
Magnesium
Observational studies have shown that people with low magnesium intake and low magnesium levels are at risk for diabetes and diabetes complication, says Bridges.[3]
“Magnesium is actually very important for processing glucose in our tissue and so there’s reason to suspect that it might play a role in glucose control. This is enhanced because having diabetes causes you to excrete more magnesium. Their kidneys don’t maintain magnesium as well,” he says.
This leads to a “vicious cycle,” says Bridges. “Having low magnesium makes you have worsened diabetes, and then having worsened diabetes makes you excrete more magnesium, which then makes you have lower magnesium, which could then further exacerbate your diabetes,” he explains.
Unlike with vitamin D, there’s evidence that magnesium supplementation could help control blood glucose, says Bridges.[4]
B12
B12 deficiency is linked to the use of the medication metformin, says Bridges. Metformin is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. More than 200 million people are estimated to take the drug every day, mostly to treat or prevent type 2 diabetes.[5]
“It’s been known for a very long time that metformin impairs vitamin B12 uptake. That’s probably a big part of why this study found so many people to be deficient,” he says.
In a healthy population, only about 3 to 4 percent of people are vitamin B12 deficient, compared with the 29 percent of people with type 2 diabetes taking metformin, says Bridges.
Why Is It Important to Know if Vitamin Deficiencies and Type 2 Diabetes Are Linked?
“This study underscores the potential role of targeted nutritional interventions as complementary to existing diabetes treatments,” says Dr. Mangal. “Addressing these deficiencies could lead to improved glycemic control, a lower risk of complications, and better overall health outcomes.”
The findings also suggest that better monitoring of micronutrients in people at risk for type 2 diabetes, especially for magnesium, may be useful, says Bridges.
“These deficiencies could be improved through supplements, but I always recommend trying to find whole food sources. People could modify their diets to find foods that are higher in these vitamins and minerals to prevent these deficiencies from happening,” he says.
Sources:
- Mangal DK et al. Burden of Micronutrient Deficiency Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health. January 29, 2025.
- Pittas AG et al. Vitamin D Supplementation and Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes. The New England Journal of Medicine. June 7, 2019.
- Magnesium and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Clinical and Molecular Mechanisms. Health Sciences Review. September 2022.
- Asbaghi O et al. The Effects of Oral Magnesium Supplementation on Glycemic Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Controlled Clinical Trials. BJN. January 20, 2022.
- The Truth About Metformin. Is It a Wonder Drug? UC Health Today. August 28, 2024.
Important Notice: This article was originally published at www.everydayhealth.com by Becky Upham where all credits are due. Fact checked by Tom Gavin.
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