Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient, commonly known by its functions in calcium metabolism, thus helping in the management of bone health. However, it is essential to understand that this nutrient is actually a hormone that helps you lose weight.
What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D, a fat – soluble vitamin, is actually a hormone that makes a lot of functions in the human body. Vitamin D, also known as 1, 25- dihydroxy vitamin D, is commonly known for its functions involving calcium metabolism and phosphorus, and thereby maintaining bone health and prevention of associated disorders, such as osteoporosis.
Other functions performed by vitamin D are the improvement of the immune system, through which prevents a multitude of acute and chronic diseases, neurological health improvement and provides cardio protective benefits. However, one of the most crucial and least talked about the functions performed by vitamin D is prevention of obesity and chronic diseases related, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
For decades, the scientific community has seen vitamin D as a promising nutrient that offers many health benefits. It is very clear through numerous scientific evidence that vitamin D is undoubtedly essential for optimal health nutrient, given the fact that more than 500 genes have been identified with some form of response elements of vitamin D in them. Therefore, one might expect that a deficiency of this fat-soluble nutrient would result in a range of health problems.
We purchase most of our vitamin D through sun exposure, although small amounts of nutrients come from our diet and / or supplements. Recently, the Institute of Medicine published guidelines of the product, however, these guidelines refer only to bone health and calcium metabolism. Scientific evidence has shown that vitamin D plays an active role in both the treatment and prevention of obesity and chronic disorders associated with increased body mass index (BMI). Therefore, more than the regulation of bone health is required.
Vitamin D and obesity
Obesity has become a global epidemic affecting children and adults. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that obesity is not only affect developed nations. Overweight and / or obesity predisposes individuals to many disorders of inflammatory and chronic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease.
The scientific community has consistently suggested that vitamin D deficiency has been observed in overweight and obese populations. There are a number of clinical studies indicating that there may be an association between increased BMI and deficiency of vitamin D. While there are many plausible explanations for this association between vitamin D deficiency and obesity, among some that have been evaluated in the recent past they include the following:
- Low dietary intake
- Synthesis of the active form of vitamin D reduced in obese individuals
- Altered metabolism
- Altered absorption
- Reduced capacity for the synthesis of vitamin in the body.
While there are numerous efforts in clinical course to understand the many associations between vitamin D status and obesity, it is not yet clear whether vitamin D deficiency leads to obesity or actually gain weight results in a deficiency regardless vitamin D, studies have shown that vitamin D plays a very beneficial in the treatment and prevention of obesity paper.
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Vitamin D and connection with obesity
Obesity is a chronic inflammation that essentially disrupts the immune system, resulting in other health. Vitamin D, on the other hand improves the immune system and helps reduce inflammation, so those with higher BMI, a deficiency of vitamin D further enhances inflammation causing additional health problems.
Another theory linking the two is the fact that in obese individuals, a low concentration of vitamin D can affect appetite hormones and their signals through the brain, resulting in increased hunger and fat storage, by what weight loss is a difficult search. Another explanation provided by clinical studies is the possibility of reduced vitamin D in obese people due to increased deposits of fat or adipose, as it is a fat-soluble nutrient.
Therefore, it is safe to assume that body composition seems to have an impact on vitamin D synthesis and metabolism of the body results in difficulty losing weight and more prone to chronic diseases.
Does vitamin D intake may help treat and prevent obesity?
Vitamin D, in particular D3 actively, appears to be deficient in individuals with a higher percentage of body fat. In a recent study, after analyzing data from more than 10,000 patients, researchers at the University of Kansas found that patients who were deficient in vitamin D had a significantly increased risk of obesity and a variety of heart disease. Moreover, after taking into account the clinical history of patients, medications and other factors, they concluded that people with deficient levels of vitamin D were:
- More than twice as likely to have diabetes
- 40 percent more likely to have high blood pressure
- About 30 percent more likely to suffer from a diseased heart muscle, compared to people without the deficiency.
Overall, the risk of death from these causes was accentuated in those with deficiency of vitamin D. Therefore, since vitamin D is a crucial piece in the puzzle of obesity, one may wonder whether the addition or addition of vitamin D in the diet may be able to correct the deficiency, thus helping those people to lose excess weight efficiently.
In a recent study, researchers at the University of Milan suggested that when they were given to individuals with overweight and supplements obesity vitamin D and a diet of reduced calories, it seemed that with the help of vitamin D, these individuals were able to successful weight loss. It is imperative to understand how much vitamin D is needed to achieve such positive results, the key factor is to remember that it is essential to have individualized their records examined by health professionals. However, it is recommended that most individuals take an average of 600 IU (15mcg) / day. Note that this recommendation is generalized and advised that the recommendations should be followed only under supervision of a health professional.
The addition of foods such as mushrooms, low-fat dairy, fortified grains, fish such as tuna and mackerel, soybeans, orange juice fortified and egg yolks in the diet, can help raise levels of vitamin D in a safe way.