My four year old daughter has type 1 diabetes. I also have a one year old son, and I recently read a study suggesting that Vitamin D supplements can prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes. Should I be giving my son Vitamin D supplements due to his increased risk for type 1 diabetes?

There is evidence that Vitamin D derivatives are immunomodulatory and do protect against type 1A (autoimmune) diabetes. The most comprehensive study of this comes from EURODIAB, entitled Vitamin D supplement in early childhood and risk for Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus, which was published in Diabetologia in 1999. However, the results were not dramatic.

If you pursue this idea further, it would be important to do it in collaboration with your son’s paediatrician because giving more than the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) of vitamin D can produce a hypercalcemic [high blood calcium] syndrome.

DOB

[Editor’s comment: It is absolutely critical that any use of vitamin D supplements be monitored carefully for the very real likelihood of vitamin D-induced elevations of calcium levels, which can be extraordinarily dangerous. The reader is strongly admonished not to start the use of vitamin D except if under the care of a physician.

WWQ]