Having Trouble Losing Weight? You May Lack This Vitamin...

Are you having a hard time losing weight? If you’re eating a healthy diet, exercising every day, and still finding that those pounds won’t budge, you may want check your vitamin D levels. Some studies are showing that low levels of vitamin D can make it more difficult to fight the weight loss battle.

Low Levels of Vitamin D and Weight: What a Study Showed

A study conducted at the University of Minnesota found that people who had low levels of vitamin D at the beginning of a calorie restricted diet had more problems losing weight than those who had levels within the normal range. For every 1 ng/ml increase in active vitamin D levels, the participants lost almost a quarter pound more weight while consuming the same number of calories.

Vitamin D and Obesity

Low levels of vitamin D have also been correlated with obesity. One study found that obesity was inversely correlated with levels of vitamin D – meaning the lower the level, the higher the risk of obesity. Could low levels of vitamin D be making weight loss hard for you? It’s certainly food for thought – literally.

Low Vitamin D: Making Weight Loss Hard

The problem is no one really knows whether adding more vitamin D to the diet or taking vitamin D supplements really makes a difference. The only thing that seems likely is that there’s an association between obesity and low vitamin D levels. Anywhere from seventy-five to ninety percent of people in some populations are vitamin D deficient - which may account in some small way for the high rate of obesity in this country. The best source of vitamin D is the sun since most foods with the exception of fortified milk, fortified eggs, and salmon lack significant quantities of this important vitamin.

How Might Low Levels of Vitamin D Cause Weight Gain?

Research shows that people who live in cold climates put on weight to protect themselves against heat loss. The stimulus for this increase in body fat is believed to be a drop in vitamin D levels that occurs in response to lack of sunlight. This could partially explain why low levels of vitamin D make it hard to lose weight. Possibly, supplementing with vitamin D to raise vitamin D levels could help to offset this vitamin D programmed increase in body fat.

Low Levels of Vitamin D and Weight Loss: The Bottom Line

Should you supplement with vitamin D if you’re trying to lose weight? That depends on how high your levels are. The best way to find out is to have your doctor check a vitamin D level. If your levels are low, you may need to take supplements, not only for weight loss, but for your overall health. It’s unwise to take high doses of vitamin D without checking a blood level first since vitamin D isn’t easily eliminated from the body and can build up to toxic levels. Next time you’re at your doctor’s office for a check-up, ask about getting a vitamin D level checked.

By Dr. Kristie