You may want to fill up on more sweet potatoes, butternut squash and those dark leafy greens. Thats because a lack of vitamin A usually found in these foods could be behind type 2 diabetes.

A new study by New Yorks Weill Cornell Medical College, published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry, has revealed that a vitamin A deficiency is a potential driver of type 2 diabetes. In fact, the findings could open the door to new treatments for the condition.

The link between dietary vitamin A and insulin

Around 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes is type 2, making it the most common form of diabetes in the United States. The condition is marked by insulin resistance for the most part. Thats when insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas are no longer able to function efficiently.

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To find out more about the link between type 2 diabetes and vitamin A, researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College looked at the beta cells of two groups of adult mice. One group of mice was genetically modified so that they were unable to store dietary vitamin A. The other group, meanwhile, was able to store the vitamin from foods normally.

What researchers discovered was that the laboratory mice who were unable to store vitamin A, also experienced beta cell death. In other words, the mice were unable to produce insulin.

The right foods help to control your blood sugar

Whats more, when researchers removed vitamin A from the diets of healthier mice, they noticed that this led to a great deal of beta cell loss. It resulted in far less insulin being produced and much higher blood glucose levels. Nevertheless, whenever researchers restored vitamin A to the diets of the mice, beta cell and insulin production rose steadily, and blood glucose levels returned to normal.

Interestingly, previous studies showed that during fetal development, vitamin A is vital for beta cell growth. But it was never clear whether vitamin A played the same role all throughout adulthood.

Typically, vitamin A is found in fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products. It boosts cell growth, contributing to better vision and a healthy immune system. There are two types of the vitamin: Preformed vitamin A, also known as retinol, is present in meat, poultry, fish and dairy products; and pro-vitamin A, or beta-carotene, is found in a number of fruits and vegetables.

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There is some evidence to suggest too much preformed vitamin A isnt good for you, putting you at increased risk for hip fracture, and can interfere with the beneficial actions of vitamin D in the body. So Im emphasizing vitamin A from produce, especially from good sources like spinach, kale, sweet potatoes and squash. Get more of these on your plate more often!

Eat more greens to protect yourself from vitamin deficiency

Vitamin A deficiency or VAD happens when theres insufficient vitamin A needed for growth, development and physiological functions, not to mention those periods of stress brought on by illness. Vitamin A stimulates the production and activity of white blood cells, key to keeping your immune system running strong.

In the future, a synthetic form of vitamin A may provide added insurance. And it just might help to reverse type 2 diabetes, especially, according to Weill Cornell Medical College researchers.

But in the meantime, make those dark leafy greens a staple in your diet.

Source

Not eating these foods? You’re putting yourself at risk of…

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