High Dose of Vitamins Could Help Diabetic Children

Filed in archive Research on July 19, 2006

A new study suggests that the cardiovascular health of children with diabetes can be improved with high doses of folate and vitamin B6.

This could prove to be especially valuable information as diabetics are much more likely to develop cardiovascular problems than are non-diabetics. Furthermore, 65% of diabetics die from heart attacks and strokes.

This is the first time, say the researchers, that such a such benefits associated with these B vitamins have been reported.

High-resolution ultra-sound was used to measure flow-mediated dilation (FMD) at baseline, at two and four hours after the first dose, and after four and eight weeks of supplementation. FMD measures changes in the diameter of blood vessels that are associated with increased blood flow.

Two hours after the first dose of folate, FMD was found to have increased significantly from 1.88 per cent to 10.46 per cent, with no additional increase at four hours.

The vitamin B6 supplement only lead to an immediate (at two hours) effect on FMD, increasing from 4.7 per cent to 8.36 per cent, with no further changes at four hours.

What is interesting is that the combination therapy appears to work immediately within i.e. within 2 hours. It warrants further investigation because endothelial dysfunction also occurs in Type 2 and there doesn't appear to be the same evidence for this treatment and adults.

"Because type 1 has autoimmune implications it is early to speculate that this is affecting mostly cardiovascular health. Diabetes UK would suggest a future area of research as T2 Kids and this combination therapy," said Hunt.

It would seem that in addition to child diabetics with Type 1, there is a good chance the therapy would also work for adults and Type 2 diabetics. The study is the first of its kind, so the theory warrants more testing. But it's enough to make you consider trying a vitamin supplement, or better yet, increasing your intake of healthy foods containing these nutrients.