WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - According to a pooled data analysis published in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, people with type 2 diabetes suffer from vitamin D and magnesium deficiencies, underscoring the need to spread more awareness about these micronutrients.
Diabetes can be triggered by various factors, such as genetic predisposition, unhealthy eating habits, overweight, and environmental changes. Additionally, the lack of micronutrients also play an important role in the development of this disease.
The analysis involved 132 studies involving over 50,000 participants. Of this, 45 percent of people with type 2 diabetes globally suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, with the prevalence slightly lower among those with diabetes-related complications.
Micronutrients deficiency is a silent epidemic, which disrupts metabolic health and quality of life. The analysis revealed that such deficiencies often negatively impact glucose metabolism and insulin signaling pathways.
'This systematic review exemplifies the double burden of malnutrition in action, whereby nutritional deficiencies and diet-related non-communicable diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, co-exist,' comments Shane McAuliffe, Visiting Senior Academic Associate, NNEdPro Global Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health.
'The treatment of type 2 diabetes often tends to focus on energy metabolism and macronutrients, but the identification of a higher prevalence of specific micronutrient deficiencies in those affected is a reminder that optimizing overall nutrition should always be a priority.'
Notably, vitamin D deficiency was the most common among the participants, affecting 60.45 percent of individuals with type 2 diabetes, whereas magnesium came at second position affecting 42 percent of individuals. Also, the micronutrients deficiency was more prevalent among women compared to their male counterparts.
'The findings should help to focus research and policy initiatives aimed at furthering our understanding of the causes and effects of these deficiencies and the potential for targeted and tailored interventions,' McAuliffe concluded.
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