Yet another reason why diary consumption can be beneficial: Tufts University researchers have concluded there's a link between calcium and vitamin D intake and reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes. The Tufts people basically gathered all previous studies on the topic and examined them with a fine tooth comb. Finding Number One: People with low vitamin D levels have a greater risk (up to forty-six percent) for T2 diabetes. Finding Number Two: healthy adults don't really benefit from increased vitamin D intake alone, but rather do better with an increased intake of vitamin D and calcium. And this combo is found in all milk and, to a greater or lesser extent, in milk products. They say people with the highest dairy intake (three to five daily servings) had a fifteen percent lower risk for T2 than people with more moderate consumption (one and a half servings or less daily).

The big question: Why does calcium and vitamin D consumption have such a beneficial effect in T2 diabetes prevention? The Tufts researchers say these substances may help the body to produce and/or use insulin. But that's not all. Diary foods also contain magnesium, which known to decrease T2 risk as well. It's difficult, therefore, to work out exactly which elements in dairy are doing what in the body, but it does seem safe to say that dairy consumption - up to, but not exceeding, recommended daily servings - is good for the health and does lower T2 diabetes risk. Unless you're allergic... Or vegan...

Could it be that social evolution has made vitamin D deficiency a necessary evil? Studies have shown favorable effects on insulin secretion and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients who received vitamin D3 supplementation.

The study evaluated 10 females with type 2 diabetes. The patients enrolled in the study treated their diabetes with oral medications. The study was conducted in March, when levels of vitamin D are lowest due to lack of sunlight. A group of 17 females with normal glucose tolerance served as a control group. The diabetic patients were treated for a month with vitamin D3. After the month, the patient's receiving vitamin D3 had increased their insulin secretion levels significantly by 34.3%. The results showed a decrease of 21.4% in insulin resistance after one month of vitamin D3 supplementation.

Back in the day, our ancestors would have full body exposure to the sun throughout the year. Nowadays, that number has been reduced to a mere 5% with only our face and hands acting as a welcome mat for the sun. A major source of vitamin D is its production in our skin as a result of UV exposure from sunlight. Lest we not take Mother Nature's generosity for granted. Everybody looks good with a little color. It'll look even better when your A1c drops as your sun-kissed glow picks up. If all else fails - you can always run off to a nudist colony where social reservations and clothing are optional!

Thousands of pre-school age children are being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as new figures show a dramatic rise over the past 20 years.

Between 1985 and 2004, the study conducted by Bristol University, has seen an increase in cases of type 1 diabetes in children under the age of 5 five times the previous average. Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease in which the body fails to produce insulin or makes only a little. One of the theories leading to the rise in type 1 diabetes is due to infants being exposed to exorbitantly clean households. The researchers found that incidence in all children under 15 had doubled. But the incidence of type 1 diabetes in children under the age of five went from .2 cases per 1,000 to 1 case per thousand.

The hypothesis offered by Prof Bingley leads to a very good argument. He said, "the increase is too steep to be put down to genetic factors, so it must be due to changes in our environment. This could mean that we are being exposed to something new or that we have reduced exposure to something that was previously controlling our immune responses". Much like the denouement in a game of CLUE: perhaps it was Mr. Clean, with the mop, in the kitchen!

The joke among my friends up here in the Pacific Northwest is that vitamin D has become our favorite vitamin. With spring and daylight savings now here, we crave the sun and any opportunity to soak up the vitamin D! Apparently, getting a lot of the "D" can lower our risk for diabetes. I was reading today that the Tufts-New England Medical Centre just released information that shows women actually benefit most when both their vitamin D and calcium intakes are high. Besides the sun, we all know that vitamin D is found in dairy products and other foods like liver and salmon. Vitamin D also aids in the absorption in calcium, which is a great bonus given this news. When thinking about my own intake of C (calcium) and D, I realize that with my ever-present low-fat diet that's not too high in dairy products, I should probably be more consistent in taking my multi-vitamin and supplements. It's an easy fix, and researchers are agreeing. With this news out of Tufts, they can envision a successful public campaign since adding supplements and food sources to the diet can be simple and inexpensive.

A new article in Diabetes Care reports that people with Type 2 diabetes are much more likely to develop vitamin D deficiency than are non-diabetics. The authors of the study, from Sacro Cuore Hospital in Italy, say that three out of every five patients with Type 2 diabetes show signs of vitamin D Deficiency. A vitamin D deficiency could be a big deal for your health, affecting bone health, in particular. The researchers suggest the problem be dealt with by either routinely giving Type 2 diabetics vitamin D supplements or by screening for this deficiency in Type 2 diabetics. At right is a cool computerized rendition of a vitamin D molecule, which I found on the website www.worldofmolecules.com. (Sigh. I love the Internet. There's something for everyone!)