Type 2 diabetes is associated with depression and pain, but few studies have looked at how pain may affect the treatment of depression in patients with type 2 diabetes and no studies have evaluated the role of vitamin D supplementation on this association.
Researchers in this study tested the efficacy of weekly vitamin D2 supplementation for six months on depression in women with type 2 diabetes. Depression significantly improved following supplementation.
In addition, 61 percent of patients reported shooting or burning pain in their legs and feet (neuropathic pain) and 74 percent reported numbness and tingling in their hands, fingers and legs (sensory pain) at the beginning of the study.
Researchers found a significant decrease in neuropathic and sensory pain at three and six months following vitamin D2 supplementation.
“Pain is a common and often serious problem for women with type 2 diabetes and depression,” Todd Doyle, lead author and fellow, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, said. “While further research is needed, D2 supplementation is a promising treatment for both pain and depression in type 2 diabetes."
Moreover, Vitamin D is also very helpful in making our bones strong and decreasing mortality especially in elderly women. Deficiency of Vitamin D can also cause some cancers and some other worse outcomes in other cancers.
The best and natural way to get Vitamin D is from sunlight which is easily available. It is also found in many vegetables and milk.
Infants are always advised to be exposed in sun so as to make their bones strong and also body healthy by getting the vitamin D from the sunlight.
By Ruchi Singh
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com