Vitamin D linked to successful weight loss with dieting

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.

1. Sibley S. et al. Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., June 2009.