All things being equal
Losing weight can be a long process. But if you’re working diligently at it, that slow and steady approach WILL win the race against obesity. In the meantime, though, if you’re carrying around a few extra pounds (and, let’s be honest: a lot of us are), you need to pay extra attention to your vitamin D levels.
New research done at Tufts University shows that people who are overweight tend to have lower blood levels of vitamin D than people in normal weight ranges, despite spending the same amounts of time outdoors absorbing the sun’s vitamin-D-producing UV rays.
The study involved 381 subjects divided into four groups based on their body fat percentages. They found that the people with the highest percentages of body fat had 20 percent less vitamin D in their blood than the subjects with the least body fat. Yet, there was no difference among the four groups when it came to the amount of time spent outside, the amount of skin exposed, or the amount of sunscreen used.
The researchers think that the excess weight might be preventing the nutrient from reaching the bloodstream because the fatty tissue somehow traps the vitamin D.
They recommend that “heavier people may need more vitamin D, whether it’s from more sun exposure or getting more in the diet,” since the normal recommendations don’t produce the desired blood levels in this group.
Dr. Wright typically recommends roughly 20 minutes of sun exposure on bare arms and face — or until your skin turns just slightly pink. However, spending more time than this could result in sunburn, which would end up negating some of the positive effects of the vitamin D. So your best bet is to increase the amount you take via supplements.
For people age 35 and older, Dr. Wright recommends up to 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day. Research has shown that levels up to 10,000 IU per day are safe. But to find your ideal dose — one that will put your blood levels of vitamin D well within healthy range — it’s best to work with a physician skilled in nutritional and natural medicine. To locate one near you, contact the American College for Advancement in Medicine at (800)532- 3688 or www.acam.org.
Sources:
“Sun exposure unrelated to excess fat and vitamin D,” Reuters Health news, 8/29/07
“Reduced Sun Exposure Does Not Explain the Inverse Association of 25- Hydroxyvitamin D with Percent Body Fat in Older Adults,” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2007; 92(8): 3,155-3,157
