February 22, 2025, 3:49 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Around half of all people with type 2 diabetes suffer from a deficiency of essential micronutrients — with potentially serious consequences for their health. But to what extent do these deficiencies influence the course of the disease? FITBOOK editor Janine Riedle discusses a new study that has looked into this issue.
Type 2 diabetes is one of the fastest-growing widespread diseases worldwide. In addition to genetic factors, diet, obesity, and an unhealthy lifestyle play a key role in the development and progression of the disease. Therefore, a key scientific question is: does a deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals influence the risk of diabetes and the progression of the disease?
Overview of the Study
Background of the Study
The aim of the study was to assess the global burden of micronutrient deficiencies in type 2 diabetes. Although numerous individual studies exist, their results vary widely. This makes it difficult to develop clear nutritional recommendations for diabetes patients.
The researchers, therefore, wanted to find out how high the average prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies is in diabetes patients and which micronutrients are particularly frequently affected.1 They also wanted to investigate whether there are differences depending on gender, region, or diabetes complications. As micronutrients play a crucial role in glucose metabolism, a deficiency could worsen blood glucose control in the long term and increase the risk of secondary damage. The results could, therefore, provide important information for targeted nutritional strategies and preventive measures.
Summary of Various Research Studies
This study is a meta-analysis that searched various databases for studies on diabetes and deficiencies. In total, the researchers found 132 relevant studies with a total of 52,501 diabetes patients from 1998 to 2023.
Included were observational studies that examined the prevalence of vitamin and mineral deficiencies in type 2 diabetes patients. People under the age of 18 with type 1 diabetes or gestational diabetes were excluded, as were studies with targeted supplementation of micronutrients. The different study results were then correlated using standard scientific analyses.
Almost Half of Diabetes Patients Had at Least One Deficiency
The analysis showed that almost half, or 45.3 percent to be precise, of all type 2 diabetics suffered from at least one micronutrient deficiency. But what did they lack most? The analysis shows that at 60.45 percent, vitamin D was the biggest deficiency among diabetes patients. And many also appear to have too little magnesium in their bodies, as 41.95 percent had such a deficiency. Iron deficiency was also common at around 28 percent.
Another important finding: women were more frequently affected than men; almost every second woman had a nutrient deficiency! People with health complications from diabetes also had a 40 percent higher risk of a nutrient deficiency. However, these values varied between different population groups. A further analysis step (meta-regression) also showed that the prevalence of these deficiencies in diabetes cases has hardly changed over the last two decades – despite a better understanding of the role of these nutrients.
Complementary Therapy
The high prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in type 2 diabetes suggests that targeted dietary recommendations and supplementation could be a useful addition to therapy. Doctors should test for vitamin D and magnesium deficiencies in particular. Patients taking the diabetes medication metformin, in particular, should have their B12 levels checked, as the study found that this deficiency frequently occurred in them. Nutritional advice and supplementation could help to reduce further complications.
It remains unclear whether the deficiencies are a consequence of diabetes or whether they contribute to the development of the disease. Future studies should clarify whether targeted supplementation can positively influence the risk of diabetes or the course of the disease.
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Classification of the Study
The study provides a comprehensive overview of micronutrient deficiencies in type 2 diabetes and is based on a large database. The use of a standardized search strategy and the statistically sound analysis are strengths of the study.
However, almost all of the studies included have a clinical background, which means that healthy individuals are missing as a comparison group. In addition, the definitions of “micronutrient deficiency” varied between the studies, which makes comparability difficult. There are only a few randomized studies that could prove a causal relationship between micronutrient deficiency and diabetes. And the fact that there were some fluctuations between the results due to different regions of the world could also have distorted the results.
Another important point of criticism is that the study was commissioned by the US pharmaceutical company Abbott Nutrition. This could mean that the studies were carried out in pursuit of commercial objectives, such as the sale of its own products. Nevertheless, it can do no harm for people with type 2 diabetes to have a nutrient check carried out by their doctor in order to identify possible deficiencies.