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Item #14
Vitamins
May Help Prevent Infections in Diabetics
People
with diabetes may be able to ward off colds and other minor infections
by taking a daily multivitamin, according to a new study.
Taking
a vitamin and mineral supplement did not prevent infections in people
without diabetes, but the study's lead author did not rule out that
some people without diabetes might see a drop in infections if they
take a supplement.
Dr.
Thomas A. Barringer, of Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North
Carolina stated that, "If the benefit seen in diabetics is due to
the fact that their nutrition was more marginal, then any population
at risk of having marginally inadequate nutrition, such as the elderly
in general, might also benefit."
Noting
that most of the people in the study were overweight or obese,
Barringer said that "if obesity was a factor in why they
benefited, then all obese people might benefit."
Forty
percent of US adults take some sort of vitamin or mineral supplement
on a regular basis, but there is little scientific evidence showing
that supplements actually boost health.
But
some research does suggest that a multivitamin enhances immune
function.
The
elderly and people with diabetes often do not consume adequate amounts
of nutrients and they also have a slightly higher risk of infection,
so Barringer's team studied whether a vitamin and mineral supplement
would prevent minor infections.
A
multivitamin did seem to ward off infections, at least in people with
diabetes, the researchers report in the March 4th issue of the journal
Annals of Internal Medicine. All the diabetic patients had type 2
diabetes, the most common form of the disease.
Only
17% of diabetics taking a multivitamin reported having an infection,
such as an upper respiratory infection, the flu or a gastrointestinal
infection, compared with 93% of diabetics who were taking a dummy
pill. In addition, 89% of people with diabetes who took a placebo pill
reported missing at least one day of work during the one-year study
compared with none of the diabetics taking a multivitamin.
The
reduction in infections was found almost exclusively in people with
diabetes, according to the report. Participants with diabetes were
more likely to be deficient in at least one vitamin or mineral at the
start of the study, which could explain the beneficial effect of a
multivitamin, Barringer's team points out. The researchers are
uncertain, however, whether these small differences fully explain the
effect.
The
study included 130 adults’ ages 45 and older. Roughly two out of
three participants were overweight or obese and about 30% had type 2
diabetes. Although the researchers originally wanted to measure the
effect of multivitamins in the elderly, too few older people enrolled
in the study for them to make a conclusion. Only 33 patients were over
65.
Even
though Barringer cautioned that the study is not the final word on the
effect of multivitamins on the immune system, he pointed out that
supplements are safe and relatively inexpensive, so taking a daily
multivitamin is "a reasonable option" for people who are
overweight, who have any type of diabetes, who may not receive
adequate nutrition or whose immune system is weak.
"The
potential impact of supplements merits further rigorous study,
especially among diabetic persons and other vulnerable
populations," they conclude in an editorial that accompanies the
study.
Annals
of Internal Medicine 2003;138:365-371,430-431.
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