If you're trying to
kick-start weight loss, getting a healthy dose of vitamin D could help. That's according to a
new study that has found taking vitamin D supplements can aid weight loss in obese and
overweight people who are deficient in the vitamin.
Previous studies have
suggested that about 40% of North American adults are vitamin D-deficient. Persons who are obese have been found to have
much higher rates of vitamin D deficiency. Extra weight appears to interfere
with the body's production of vitamin D.
While the importance of vitamin D to bone health has long been appreciated,
in the last decade it has emerged that vitamin D is essential for many aspects
of health including immune, cardiovascular, and endocrine function.
The new study included
400 overweight and obese people with vitamin D deficiency who were put on a
low-calorie diet and then divided into three groups. One group took a placebo
containing no vitamin D, while the two other groups took either 25,000 IU
(about 800 IU's daily) or 100,000 IU (about 3,300 IU's daily) of vitamin D per
month. After six months, participants in
both vitamin D supplementation groups had lost significantly more weight and had greater reductions in
their waistlines than those taking a placebo.
What to do: Vitamin D is
nicknamed the "sunshine vitamin" because the body produces the
nutrient when skin is exposed to sunlight. To maintain adequate vitamin D, consume food
sources rich in Vitamin D such as milk and other fortified products as well as oily
fish such as salmon and sardines. Also,
next time you get blood work with your care provider, request your Vitamin D level be checked. Vitamin D is widely available in supplements. To maximize uptake of vitamin D, choose a
supplement with D3 that includes calcium.
Persons with some conditions should not supplement with Vitamin D so
check with your provider before starting supplementation.
Source:
European Congress on
Obesity, news release, May 7, 2015
Adapted from article available at:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_152449.html
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