Vitamin D-ficient?

Vitamin D has always been an important part of our daily diet, and now it’s been linked to successful weight loss.

Vitamin D deficiency has commonly been associated with obesity, but the question remains whether it causes obesity, or if obesity causes the deficiency.

In a study presented at The Endocrine Society 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., researchers shared their findings based on an 11-week study that measured circulating blood levels of vitamin D in 38 overweight men and women before and after they followed a diet plan of 750 calories a day fewer than their estimated total needs. The goal was to find out whether baseline vitamin D levels before going on a calorie-restricted diet would affect weight loss.

The findings included the following:

• Subjects had insufficient vitamin D levels on average.
• Higher baseline vitamin D levels predicted greater loss of abdominal fat.

[B]aseline, or pre-diet, vitamin D levels predicted weight loss in a linear relationship. For every increase of 1 ng/mL in level of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol — the precursor form of vitamin D and a commonly used indicator of vitamin D status — subjects ended up losing almost a half pound (0.196 kg) more on their calorie-restricted diet. For each 1-ng/mL increase in the active or hormonal form of vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol), subjects lost nearly one-quarter pound (0.107 kg) more.

Although further research on active role of Vitamin D in weight loss is needed, it is still recommended as a necessary part of a healthy diet.

Weight Loss Diet Consultation

Dr. Aron can advise you on any potential nutritional deficiencies as part of your comprehensive weight loss program.

Labels: overweight, vitamins, weight loss