Can It Help You Lose Weight?. Vitamin D supplements are sometimes touted as a natural weight loss aid. Indeed, some research suggests that running low on vitamin D might increase your risk of obesity, while taking vitamin D supplements may help promote weight loss and weight maintenance.
Key Points
Vitamin D for Weight Loss
Here’s a look at some key findings on vitamin D and weight:
1. Dieting
In a 2010 study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that boosting your levels of vitamin D (and intake of dairy-derived calcium) may increase the likelihood of weight loss while dieting. The study involved 126 overweight women, all of whom were followed for six months.
2. Weight Gain Prevention
Vitamin D may help thwart the weight gain that often occurs in middle-aged women, according to a 2007 study from the Archives of Internal Medicine.
For the study, 36,282 postmenopausal women were assigned to receive 400 IU of vitamin D and 1,000 mg of calcium in supplement form or a placebo daily. After three years, supplement-taking participants who had
skimped on calcium prior to the study were found to be 11 percent less likely to gain weight (compared to those assigned to a placebo).
3. Heart-Health
Vitamin D may enhance some positive effects of weight loss, a 2007 study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests. In tests on 63 overweight or obese women assigned to a weight loss program, scientists discovered that those who took 400 IU of vitamin D and 1,200 mg of calcium in supplement form daily during the course of their 15-week diet had greater improvements in cholesterol levels (compared to those given a placebo for the same time period).
When Should You Take It For Weight Loss?
Supplements containing both vitamin D and calcium are possibly effective for weight loss, according to the National Institutes of Health. However, scientists have yet to determine whether taking vitamin D alone (rather than in combination with calcium) can help promote weight loss.
Even though vitamin D is found in some foods (such as oily fish and fortified milk) and can be produced by the body during sun exposure, taking supplements may be a more reliable means of increasing your vitamin D levels.
Although vitamin D might not help you lose weight on its own, increasing your vitamin D intake could support your weight loss efforts while enhancing your overall health. (Essential for strong bones and osteoporosis prevention, vitamin D may also help fend off heart disease and stimulate your immune system.)
In order to achieve weight loss, it’s important to combine vitamin D supplementation with a healthy diet and regular exercise program.
If you decide to take vitamin D supplements, be aware that consuming an excessive amount of vitamin D may cause vomiting, loss of bone density, and other problems.
