April 2008
Breaking News! Vitamin A & Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that can
destroy the beta cells of the pancreas, which make and
release the hormone, insulin. Scientists from the
University of California, Davis, hypothesized that
feeding diabetic, non-obese mice diets rich in
polyphenols, or vitamin A, would lessen the autoimmune
inflammatory process associated with type 1 diabetes.
These researchers studied 45 female, non-obese mice,
and found the incidence of diabetes was reduced to 25%
from 33% in mice receiving 1% dietary grape powder or
vitamin A.*

In addition, vitamin A consumption seemed to lower the
TNF-alpha protein, which has also been linked to type
1 diabetes.
 
More research studies are being put in place to study
the effects of vitamin A to help fight diseases
affecting the immune system.

* Susan Zunino, David Storms, Charles Stephensen. "Diets Rich in Polyphenols and Vitamin A Inhibit the Development of Type I Autoimmune Diabetes in Nonobese Diabetic Mice." Journal of Nutrition. 137: 1216-1221; May 2007.

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