Newest Research is In:

Increased vitamin D may lead to a decrease in body weight.  This according to new data presented at this month’s Endo 09: The Endocrine Society’s Annual Meeting.

Previous studies have associated vitamin D deficiencies to obesity.  However, the relationship was unclear.  Did vitamin D deficiency cause obesity?  Or did obesity cause the vitamin D deficiency?

Courtesy: Stuck in Customs

According to the new study’s lead author Shalamar Sibley, MD, University of Minnesota: “Results suggest the possibility that the addition of vitamin D to a reduced-calorie diet will lead to better weight loss.”

The current study looked at only 38 overweight men and women.  And while they showed positive outcomes, Sibley went on to caution that more research needed to be done in order to determine if there is a role for vitamin D in conjunction with a restricted-calorie diet for weight loss.

Are You Vitamin D Deficient?

Vitamin D has received more press in recent years.  Some experts suggest that many now suffer from deficiencies due to increased use of sunscreen.  Dr. Michael Holick, in The UV Advantage states, “Today we face what is, in fact, a ‘medically significant’ epidemic of vitamin-D-deficient people.”

Vitamin D is available in supplement form or through dietary sources, including: salmon, tuna, catfish and whole eggs.  However, Dr. James Dowd in The Vitamin D Cure suggests the best form of vitamin D is through sun exposure.

What’s the Answer?

But don’t grab the beach towel just yet.  Dermatologists still adamantly warn against soaking in the sun’s rays.

Perhaps moderate sun exposure will end up being something they can all agree on…We’ll have to stay tuned to find out.

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