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Despite these findings, the current body of research suggests that consuming higher amounts of vitamin D has little effect on weight gain or loss.
Urinating at night, which interrupts sleep, is called nocturia. A common urological condition causing nocturia in men is an enlarged prostate or...
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Read More »Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, is a hormone that your body produces when your skin is exposed to the sun. You can also get some vitamin D from your diet, although few foods contain significant amounts of it. Still, sun exposure and diet alone are rarely sufficient to maintain optimal vitamin D levels ( 1 ). Experts estimate that around 50% of people worldwide have suboptimal vitamin D levels, while up to 1 billion experience a vitamin D deficiency ( 1 ). Maintaining optimal vitamin D levels is crucial for the health of your bones, brain, and immune system. Furthermore, it has been suggested that adequate vitamin D levels may help prevent unwanted weight gain ( 2 ). This article reviews whether a vitamin D deficiency can cause weight gain, and if so, how to overcome it. Share on Pinterest Jarusha Brown/Stocksy United The link between vitamin D and weight gain People with overweight and obesity appear more likely to have low vitamin D levels, compared with people with weights falling within the “normal” body mass index (BMI) range. This has caused some to suggest that low vitamin D levels may cause weight gain ( 1 , 3 , 4 ). A few studies seem to support this theory. In one study, women were given 1,000 IU (25 mcg) of vitamin D or a placebo each day for 12 weeks. By the end of the study, women in the vitamin D group lost 5.9 pounds (2.7 kg) of fat, compared with around 1.1 pounds (0.5 kg) for those in the placebo group. The women in the vitamin D group also gained 3.1 pounds (1.4 kg) more muscle than those in the placebo group. Yet, there were no significant changes in waist circumference or total body weight ( 5 ). Similarly, a recent review of 11 weight loss studies suggested that supplementing with 25,000–600,000 IU (625–15,000 mcg) of vitamin D monthly for 1–12 months may reduce BMI and waist circumference in those with overweight or obesity. However, these changes remain very small and no significant differences in total body weight were noted ( 6 ). Despite these findings, the current body of research suggests that consuming higher amounts of vitamin D has little effect on weight gain or loss. Still, more studies differentiating between body weight and body fat may be needed to properly evaluate this effect ( 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ). Why do people with overweight or obesity often have lower vitamin D levels? Currently, most researchers believe that the lower vitamin D levels observed in people with overweight or obesity may be explained by other factors. For instance, since vitamin D is stored in fatty tissues, people with larger amounts of body fat may need greater amounts of vitamin D to maintain blood levels similar to those of people of lower body weights ( 3 , 4 ). People with overweight or obesity may also spend less time outdoors, or eat less vitamin-D-rich or vitamin-D-fortified foods ( 4 ). Accordingly, experts suggest that people with overweight may need 1.5 times more vitamin D than individuals with BMIs in the “normal” range to maintain similar blood levels, whereas people with obesity may require 2–3 times more ( 4 ). SUMMARY People with overweight or obesity often have lower vitamin D levels than people with BMIs in the “normal” range. Still, evidence to suggest that low vitamin D levels cause weight gain or make it more difficult to lose body fat is limited. How to tell whether you have a vitamin D deficiency Over time, suboptimal sun exposure or low amounts of vitamin-D-rich foods in the diet may cause you to develop a vitamin D deficiency. Signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency Vitamin D deficiency isn’t typically associated with noticeable symptoms unless the deficiency is severe, so most people don’t know they’re deficient until they have a blood test. However, prolonged, severe deficiency can result in the following symptoms ( 1 , 2 ): bone pain or deformities
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