Vitamin D for Weight Loss?

RTricia

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D? 5 Really Good Reasons to Pay Attention

By EatingWell on May 31, 2011 10:00 AM in Healthy Eating

By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.


I know I’m not getting enough vitamin D, which—as a dietitian and nutrition editor of EatingWell Magazine—I hate to admit. Except for in my coffee, I don’t care much for milk (a food that’s fortified with D). I also spend most of my weekday hours indoors behind a computer, I slather any sun-exposed skin with sunscreen when I go outdoors and I live north of the midsection of the country—all of which means I’m not getting enough sunlight for my body to produce the quantity of D I need. (Ultraviolet, or UV, rays penetrate the skin’s uppermost layer, causing skin cells to produce a form of vitamin D, which is then processed—along with vitamin D from food—by the liver and kidneys and converted to the active form of the vitamin.)

I’m not alone: some studies suggest that as many as 7 out of 10 Americans don’t get enough of the “sunshine vitamin.” Interesting, considering the Institute of Medicine recently upped the daily recommended amount (for ages 1 to 70) to 600 International Units (IUs).

Having sufficient levels of D is important for everyone, me included. The vitamin practically deserves super-nutrient status:

Vitamin D helps bones absorb calcium, keeping them strong and preventing osteoporosis.

It may offer protection against cancer—lowering the risk of some types like breast, prostate and colorectal.

Studies suggest it can help with depression and in preventing seasonal mood swings.

Adequate D may help lower heart disease risk. Research has linked low levels of vitamin D with both cardiovascular disease and conditions that increase risk of cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Vitamin D could help with weight control. In some studies, people with higher body mass indexes (BMIs) tend to have lower D levels. Also, upping vitamin D (and calcium) intake may have helped boost weight loss in one recent study of dieters.

Don’t miss these Must Reads:

What happens if you get too much or not enough vitamin D?
Are you getting enough of all nutrients? Learn which 4 you shouldn’t skimp on.
Skipping Milk? 3 Other Ways to Keep Your Bones Strong.

vim_n_vigor

I have noticed I am a bit more cheerful since upping my D3 intake. I don't know yet if it will help with the weight loss!

nisharae

I always wonder.. it just seems like when Im out in the sun, even just laying I feel like Im burning more cals.. Is that weird.. LIke anyone notice how after a day in the sun your like hungry and exhausted... even if you just kinda sun bathed... Idk just a thought..

mrssparkle

I have to take Vit D daily, quite a high dose so that my body can absorb calicum, I have read that a mixture of calcium supplements and Vit D supplements can help you lose weight, however I haven't seen the results of this particular side effect!:laugh:

goron59

Interesting.

I saw a science program on the BBC recently where they said that darker skinned people are more able to stay out in the sun for longer without getting burned, but as a consequence, don't aborb as much vitamin D-producing light as lighter skinned people. So to get the benefits of vitimin D, they would _need_ to stay out in the sun longer.

For example, darker skinned people living in northern Scotland, where the sun never shines, would have a higher tendancy to be vitamin D deficient. The opposite is true of a pale skinned person from Scotland living in, eg, Dubai. They would burn to a crisp in 5 mins flat, without a hat, but would have fairly high levels of D.