Researchers report that in a cohort of older adults, use of vitamin C or calcium supplements was associated with a reduced risk for Type 2 diabetes, although multivitamin use was not.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences assessed supplemental use of individual vitamins and minerals, as well as multivitamins, reported in the 1995-1996 period and evaluated links with self-reported diabetes diagnosed after 2000 in a group of 232,007 individuals.
The participants were enrolled in the National Institutes of Health-American Association of Retired Persons Diet and Health Study and were aged 50-71 years in 1995-1996.
Of the 135,423 men and 96,584 women, 53.6% and 64.5%, respectively, took multivitamin supplements, a corresponding 78.7% and 78.4% of whom reported daily use.
No significant associations were found between consumption of multivitamins and reduction in diabetes risk, even in those who took multivitamins seven or more times per week.
The most commonly taken individual supplement was vitamin C, taken by 34.6% of the overall cohort. Vitamin E and calcium supplements were also commonly consumed by 31.6% and 29.4% of the participants, respectively.
The team found that participants who took daily vitamin C or calcium supplements were a significant 9% and 15% less likely to have developed diabetes after 2000 compared with nonusers.
The results of this study are published in the journal Diabetes Care.
