Vital to Health and Wellness Blog

There have recently been reports of Vitamin D deficiency being linked to obesity.  Just recently at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., it was declared that vitamin D levels may play a role in weight loss in obese patients.

Dr. Sibley from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis conducted an investigation in 38 obese and overweight men and women testing their vitamin D levels while investigating a causal relationship between vitamin D levels and rate of weight loss.

They measured both the active and inactive levels of vitamin D before and after an eleven week weight loss program consisting of a 750 calorie per day deficit from estimated needs. On average, vitamin D levels in the study subjects were in a deficiency range.

According to the investigators, vitamin D levels predicted subsequent weight loss success in subjects on a weight loss diet.

“Abdominal fat specifically tended to be related to vitamin D levels with the effect being stronger with the active form of vitamin D”, Dr. Sibley reported at the meeting.

Preservation of lean body mass remained intact.

Underlying mechanisms for these results need to be studied further, but optimism is on the horizon. Dr. Sibley concluded that “If it is established that vitamin D does indeed contribute to weight loss approaches this could have a huge public health impact on the obesity epidemic”.

Findings suggest at this point that vitamin D may play a pivotal role in weight loss success rates when combined with a low calorie diet. 

Sibley added a note of caution, saying that more research is needed. "Our findings need to be followed up by the right kind of controlled clinical trial to determine if there is a role for vitamin D supplementation in helping people lose weight when they attempt to cut back on what they eat."

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the University of Minnesota, and the Pennock Family Endowment at the University of Minnesota.

As always, consult your doctor before going on any kind of weight loss program.  Ask your doctor for a vitamin D blood level test to see if you are deficient.  It may be more beneficial to take a vitamin D supplement while on a diet and exercise program.