The research was conducted by a team from the Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, NY, who claim their findings could result in new treatments to combat with this condition. This disease happens when the functionality of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas are negatively affected. Senior author Dr. Lorraine Gudas - chairman of the Department of Pharmacology at Weill Cornell, along with her colleagues states that Vitamin A enhances beta cell activity, which is why a deficit of this important nutrient could have a major role in the development of type-2 diabetes.

Details about the study and subsequent findings

The study comprised two groups of adult mice where the beta cell development was monitored carefully. The first group was genetically modified to be unable to store dietary vitamin A, while the other was able to normally retain it from foods. The former group, unable to store Vitamin A, experienced beta cell death as the mice couldn’t generate insulin. Even when Vitamin A was removed from the diets of healthy mice, it resulted in massive beta cell loss, causing a drop in insulin secretion and spike in blood glucose levels. However, when the nutrient was restored, the beta cell production rate increased, along with insulin production, while blood glucose levels went back to normal.

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