HealthDay (12/19, Reinberg) reported, “Almost 75 percent of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes have insufficient levels of vitamin D,” according to research published in the Jan. issue of the Journal of Pediatrics. For the study, researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston “measured vitamin D levels in 128 children” aged 1.5 to 17.5 years “with type 1 diabetes.” The investigators “found that 61 percent of the children had insufficient levels of vitamin D, and 15 percent had a deficiency in vitamin D, meaning their vitamin D levels were severely low.” Notably, “only 24 percent of the children had sufficient vitamin D levels.” According to lead researcher Dr. Britta Svoren, “the lowest vitamin D levels were seen among the oldest children. Among adolescents, 85 percent had inadequate levels of the vitamin.” Dr. Svoren suggested “that these patients take a multivitamin and at least 400 IU of vitamin D daily.”
