Aunt Liu is 62 years old this year and has been suffering from diabetes for 10 years.
After the diabetes was first diagnosed, Aunt Liu insisted on regular check-ups and communicated with the doctor about the progress of her condition.
At the same time, she also changed her previous dietary pattern, insisting on eating a vegetarian diet every day, not eating meat, and she insisted on exercising, so her blood sugar control was very stable.
But after seeing that her blood sugar was stable, Aunt Liu's was not so regular for rechecks, and every time she went to the hospital, she took medicine.
Recently, Aunt Liu found that she often felt dizzy and weak, numb in her hands and feet, and worried about other problems in her body. So I rushed to the hospital for a comprehensive examination.
The results of the examination showed that the vitamin B12 value in Aunt Liu's body was only half of the minimum limit, and her discomfort was caused by this reason, and the doctor analyzed that it was likely to be related to Aunt Liu's long-term vegetarian diet and taking metformin.
Fortunately, under the guidance of the doctor, Aunt Liu took vitamin B12 supplements, and the situation was also alleviated.
1. Fudan University study: B vitamin supplementation can reduce the risk of diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease with no cure, and once diagnosed, most patients need to take lifelong medication to control the condition. Preventing diabetes is the most cost-effective way to curb the onset of diabetes.
Recently, a study published in the medical journal Nutrients said that moderate vitamin B supplementation was associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
B vitamins are water-soluble vitamins that play an important role in the process of cellular metabolism, and can also participate in the metabolism of sugar, protein, and fat in the body, which is the key to the release of energy from food.
B vitamins are a large family, and there are 8 common vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12, and studies have found that different members have different effects on reducing the risk of diabetes.
Researchers from the School of Public Health of Fudan University followed up 44,960 subjects in the adult cohort and biobank in the suburbs of Shanghai for 4.7 years, and obtained data on the intake of B vitamins in the form of questionnaires, during which there were 1,839 new cases of type 2 diabetes.
- In addition to vitamin B3, increased intake of vitamins B1, B2, B6, B9, and B12 was associated with a decreased risk of diabetes.
- An increase in vitamin B-complex intake was associated with a 20% decrease in the risk of diabetes, with vitamin B6 having the strongest effect at 45.58%.
- The inflammation section explains the relationship between B-complex vitamin supplementation and reduced risk of diabetes.
However, this study is only an observational study, which only shows the correlation between the two, and the causal relationship is not clear, and it is more of a reference and cannot be used as a basis for dietary supplementation.
2. What is the reason for the general lack of B vitamins in diabetic patients?
Many diabetic patients have taken B vitamins such as vitamin B1, vitamin B3 or vitamin B12, and sometimes when sugar friends go to follow-up clinics, doctors will also recommend that patients supplement B vitamins appropriately, mainly because diabetes patients are generally deficient in vitamin B.
Wang Xuan, deputy chief physician of the Department of Endocrinology of the Fifth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital, pointed out that diabetic patients are prone to vitamin B deficiency, which is mainly related to four reasons.
First, diabetics need to control their diet and eat less meat, which is the main source of vitamin B, which will easily lead to physical defects and deficiencies;
Second, B vitamins are water-soluble vitamins, which are difficult to store in the body for a long time and will be excreted with urine and sweat. Many diabetic patients have the problem of polydipsia and polyuria, and it is easier to excrete more vitamin B than ordinary people;
Third, most of the modern diet is finely processed, and it is easy to lead to the loss of vitamin B in the process of processing;
Finally, many patients need to take metformin to control their blood sugar, and some studies have found that long-term use of metformin may lead to vitamin B12 deficiency in some patients.
For diabetic patients, the lack of B vitamins may lead to various complications of diabetes, among which the deficiency of the following B vitamins is most closely related to diabetes complications.
Vitamin B1: Vitamin B1 deficiency can easily lead to unstable blood sugar control and increase the incidence of proteinuria.
Vitamin B2: Vitamin B2 can promote development and cell regeneration, and will affect the body's absorption of iron and energy metabolism, and is good for relieving eye fatigue, oral lip and tongue inflammation.
Vitamin B3: Vitamin B3 is good for diabetic patients to regulate blood lipids, reduce blood phosphate and improve arteriolar vasodilation, and can help prevent arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular and cerebral complications.
Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 reduces and alleviates the occurrence of diabetic neuropathy such as peripheral neuritis, which mainly comes from animal foods, such as animal liver, fish, and egg foods.
3. Supplementation of 3 vitamins for diabetic patients may help prevent complications
Diabetes is a huge drain on the body, and patients need to supplement more nutrients every day to keep their bodies functioning. It is suggested that diabetic patients can appropriately supplement these vitamins under the guidance of doctors, which is of positive significance for delaying the progression of the disease and preventing complications.
1. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a good antioxidant, which can help diabetic patients lower blood lipids, relieve microproteinuria, early diabetic retinopathy, and prevent atherosclerosis.
2. Vitamin D
Vitamin D can promote the body's absorption and utilization of calcium and phosphorus, and can also inhibit the autoimmune response of pancreatic β cells, improve insulin resistance, and prevent osteoporosis in patients. It is recommended to eat more marine fish, lean meat, nuts in life, and can also do more outdoor activities, and sun exposure can also help the absorption of vitamin D.
3. Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a good fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin, which has a positive significance for delaying the occurrence of vascular complications, and can be supplemented daily through foods such as vegetable oil, nuts, beans and wheat germ.
Vitamins are very important for health, but more is not always better, so follow your doctor's advice before supplementing. Ordinary people still have to take food supplements as the main thing in their daily life, and it is not recommended to blindly consume supplements.
Resources:
[1] Fudan University Study Finds that Supplementing with This Class of Vitamins May Reduce the Risk of Diabetes. MediNovi 2024-06-19
[2] "The 7 most important vitamins for patients with type 2 diabetes, have you replenished enough?" 》. Medical Community Endocrinology Channel 2021-12-24
[3] Nutritional Guidelines for Diabetes - Five Must-Supplement Vitamins. Gaochun Sugar Friends Home 2021-12-26
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