British researchers have found that there is a link between excess body weight and a deficiency of vitamin D. The data analysed covered 165,000 people and showed that for every 10 per cent rise in a person’s body-mass index (BMI), there was a corresponding drop of around four per cent in the body’s concentration of vitamin D.
Body-mass index is where the percentage of body fat is calculated based on a person’s height and corresponding weight. The link between the lower levels of vitamin D in those with higher BMIs was found across the board, in men and women and in the elderly as well as in children.
Although the study showed that a high BMI leads to lower vitamin D, it also showed that the reverse is not true, i.e. when a person naturally has less vitamin D, it does not cause their BMI to increase. Studies in the past have linked lower levels of vitamin D to obesity, but it was not known until now whether the low vitamin D was a contributing cause of obesity or a side effect of obesity. It is now thought to be the latter.
Vitamin D is produced by the sun in response to exposure to sunlight. Humans can also take in vitamin D through various foods and through supplements. Lower levels of vitamin D are a cause of concern as people are warned to stay out of the sunlight for their own wellbeing due to the link between sun exposure and skin cancer. This has led to many people adding a vitamin D supplement to their intake to help boost wellness. It is important, as a result of this study, to now be aware that obesity can also lead to lower levels of vitamin D, and take action in the form of losing weight and in the form of supplements.
Comments are closed.