Increased vitamin D intake may improve weight loss while following a calorie-restricted diet.
Vitamin D levels in the body at the start of a low-calorie diet predict weight loss success, a new study found (1). The results suggest that vitamin D deficiency is associated with obesity, but it is not clear if inadequate vitamin D causes obesity or the other way around.
In the study, circulating blood levels of vitamin D were measured in 38 overweight men and women before and after the subjects followed a diet plan for 11 weeks consisting of 750 calories a day fewer than their estimated total needs. The results showed that for every increase of 1 ng/mL in levels of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol ? the precursor form of vitamin D and a commonly-used indicator of vitamin D status ? subjects ended up losing almost 0.196 kg more on their calorie-restricted diet. For each 1 ng/mL increase in the active form of vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol), subjects lost nearly 0.107 kg more.
The researchers suggested the possibility that the addition of vitamin D to a reduced-calorie diet will lead to better weight loss. They warned, however, that more research is needed 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.
