Vitamin D & Weight Loss

What is vitamin D?

We can obtain Vitamin D, from the sun via our skin. This molecule is important for its role in enhancing the small intestine’s ability to absorb calcium from our food, which is vital for maintaining strong bones and teeth. It also plays a role in keeping our muscles functioning, having a healthy immune system, supporting the nervous system and reducing anxiety and depression.

Low levels of Vitamin D can cause:
•    Rickets — a childhood disease in which the bones soften and can become deformed. In adults, the condition is called osteomalacia.
•    Osteoporosis — thinning of the bones. Osteoporosis is a major risk factor for hip fractures, especially in the elderly.

•    There’s also some evidence that low levels of vitamin D predispose to heart disease, depression and some cancers — especially cancer of the breast, colon and prostate.

Nearly 50% of people worldwide are low in vitamin D.

Those at risk of deficiency include:
•    Older adults
•    Breastfed infants
•    Dark-skinned individuals
•    Those with limited sun exposure

•    Obesity is another risk factor for deficiency.

 

Here are 10 signs you’re not getting enough vitamin D:
1.    Depression or anxiety
2.    Bone softening (low bone density) or fractures
3.    Fatigue and generalized weakness
4.    Muscle cramps and weakness
5.    Joint pain (esp the back and knees)
6.    Blood sugar issues
7.    Low immunity, impaired wound healing
8.    Low calcium levels in the blood
9.    Mood changes and irritability
10.    Weight gain

 

Vitamin sources

Boost the vitamin D via food: Beef liver, cheese, egg yolks, fatty oily fish like sardines and salmon, margarine, mushrooms, and certain milks and milk products, all contain vitamin D.

If you choose a food source of vitamin D that has no fat or a low-fat content, combining it with a healthy fat source like coconut or olive oil, or nuts and seeds will help increase absorption.

 

Overweight People Tend to Have Lower Vitamin D Levels

Studies show that a higher body mass index and body fat percentage are associated with lower blood levels of vitamin D.

Individuals who are obese tend to consume fewer vitamin D-rich foods, and also tend to expose less skin and may not be absorbing as much vitamin D from the sun.

Certain enzymes are needed to convert vitamin D into its active form, and levels of these enzymes may differ between obese and non-obese individuals.

Vitamin D needs are dependent on body size, meaning obese individuals need more than normal-weight people to reach the same blood levels. This could help explain why obese people are more likely to be deficient.

Interestingly, losing weight can also affect your vitamin D levels.

A reduction in body size would mean a decrease in your vitamin D requirement. However, since the amount of it in your body remains the same when you lose weight, your levels would actually increase.

One study found that even small amounts of weight loss led to a modest increase in blood levels of vitamin D.

Participants who lost at least 15% of their body weight experienced increases that were nearly three times greater than those seen in participants who lost 5–10% of their body weight.

Some evidence shows that increasing vitamin D in the blood can reduce body fat and boost weight loss.

At the end of the study, researchers found that women who fulfilled their vitamin D requirements experienced more weight loss, losing an average of 3.2 kg more than the women who did not have adequate blood levels.

Another study provided overweight and obese women with vitamin D supplements for 12 weeks. At the end of the study, the women didn’t experience any weight loss, but they did find that increasing levels of vitamin D decreased body fat.

Summary: Getting adequate amounts of vitamin D may enhance weight loss, decrease body fat and limit weight gain, and increase levels of serotonin.

 

How Much Do You Need?

It’s recommended that adults 19–70 years old get at least 600 IU of vitamin D per day.

However, supplementing with vitamin D may not be a “one size fits all” approach, as some research indicates that the dosage should be based on body weight.

Depending on your body weight, this amount may be significantly higher than the established upper limit of 4,000 IU per day.

Still, vitamin D supplements can cause toxicity when consumed in large amounts. It’s best to consult your doctor before exceeding the upper limit of 4,000 IU per day.

 

What can I do to prevent having low vitamin D levels?

Low vitamin D levels are mainly seen in people who do not get enough sun. To prevent getting low vitamin D levels you need sun exposure to bare skin and, if necessary, to take a vitamin D supplement. The table below gives an estimate of how much sun exposure to get on your face, arms and hands each day to make enough vitamin D. The darker your skin, the more sun exposure you need.

Sun exposure estimates

Summer    Spring/Autumn     Winter
Fair skin    10 minutes     20 minutes    30 minutes

Dark skin    20 minutes    60 minutes    90 minutes

 

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