Preventing Type 1 Diabetes

[1974girl]

As many of you know, type 1 is associated with celiac, too. DQ2 and DQ8 are involved. (Mainly DQ2 in celiac and mainly DQ8 in type 1 diabetes but they are both found) I was asked to enroll my child in a clinical study to try to prevent it. She has DQ2 and DQ8 and my husband has had type 1 since 18. She also has celiac and hashis so the auto-immune diseases have already kicked in. Vanderbilt wanted to give her oral insulin to try to prevent it. As I researched it, I found that other places have done that and failed. When they quit taking it, they develop diabetes. So I am not doing it. However, in my research, the new thing is Vitamin D. The incidents of type 1 have been increasing the farther you get from the equator. The kids are bundled up and it is cloudy (Canada and Finland have seen skyrocketing cases) They are suplimenting with 1000 Vitamin D to the kids at high risk. It seems very promising. I have no idea if it works but I bought some to give my girls with the genes. I just wanted to pass that on, in case anyone else is in the same situation. I would encourage you to google all the info on it. We keep hearing about it increasing in the US and maybe it is because we don't let our kids outside as much to get the Vitamin D from the sun! Anyway, I have no idea if it works, but it can't hurt.

[Skylark]

I was just listening to a story on NPR about how some doctors think vitamin D is good for autoimmunity. I sort of doubt low vitamin D is the source of increasing autoimmunity - I have more personal faith in the "hygeine hypothesis" - but I think most of us folks with celiac should be taking it. This is a great thread to start!

[1974girl]

You have to have the genes and a "trigger". They have not figured out that "trigger" yet. My husband grew up in daycare with no antibacterial lotion and still developed it. But then again, he was always outside, too so you'd think his Vitamin D would have been ok. He got his within 3 months of his college vaccines. Makes you wonder.....hum. I think there is more than one "trigger" for people. Everyone has an opinion...too clean, vitamin D, vaccines, undiagnosed food allergies, milk protein, gluten.......all of that can be found on the internet to be "triggers". You can literally drive youself crazy. But I was watching some YOUTUBE videos on the Vitamin D thing and thought...that's easy enough...we can do that without side effects!

[Skylark]

Exactly! A couple years back I saw a great talk by Markku Mäki, a Finnish celiac expert. He said that while the incidence of celiac is rising in Finland, it's not rising on the Russian side of the peninsula. Everyone has a similar genetic background, but the lifestyle is very different in Russia vs. Finland. People in Russia are poorer, and I think he said their diets are different. I thought that was really interesting. It does sort of rule out environmental factors, and agrees with what you're saying about triggers in a genetically susceptible background.

[mamaupupup]

The local Southern California mainstream pediatricians are recommending Vitamin D supplements in general. Some friends are giving their kids a LOT. We spend in excess of 3 hours outside a day--sometimes even 6-8 hours, so I haven't supplemented so far. I agree it's easy to do and if I didn't have such an intense outdoor lifestyle (we homeschool) I would definitely supplement.

As another data point, a friend of ours has MS and her excellent physician recommends 30 minutes of sunshine a day without sunscreen and exposing as much skin as possible.

You are a great Mom!