Losing weight isn’t easy, but researchers say one simple vitamin could make the journey easier–a vitamin called vitamin D.
Presenting their findings at the joint meeting of the International Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society 2014, which took place in Chicago earlier this month, researchers say that obese rats who were fed higher amounts of vitamin D lost 24 percent more body weight than those whose diets did not change.
In addition, higher amounts of vitamin D helped control their blood glucose better–a common problem often associated with obesity and obesity-related conditions, such as type 2 diabetes.
“Vitamin D is never going to be the silver bullet for weight loss, but it may work in combination with strategies we know work, like diet and exercise,” says Stephanie Sisley, M.D., an assistant professor at the Baylor College of Medicine. “More research is necessary to determine if obesity alters vitamin D transport into the brain or its action in the brain.”
The study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, looked at how vitamin D affected the blood glucose and weight of obese rats, animals considered “physiologically” similar to humans. Researchers gave the rats a potent form of vitamin D called 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, which was administered from a thin tube inserted surgically into their brains. They then allowed them to live normally without restricting their food intake to see how much they ate, comparing this amount to the amount of food obese rats ate when not given vitamin D.
When the study ended, they found that those receiving vitamin D supplementation ate three times less food–something that resulted in a 24 percent decrease in their weight. Those who did not receive the vitamin D supplement did not lose weight, however.
“Vitamin D deficiency occurs often in obese people and in patients with Type 2 diabetes, yet no one understands if it contributes to these diseases,” says Sisley. “Our results suggest that vitamin D may play a role in the onset of both obesity and Type 2 diabetes by its action in the brain.”
Sisley also had both groups of rats take a glucose tolerance test, and found that those who had higher vitamin D levels had improved glucose tolerance–something that meant they were at a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. However, those with lower vitamin D levels had higher blood glucose readings, suggesting that vitamin D may help with glucose control.
“The brain is the master regulator of weight,” concludes Sisley.
What You Should Do
If weight loss seems like an uphill battle for you, the solution may be as simple as getting in more vitamin D. Luckily, this isn’t hard to do–a 30 minute jaunt out in the sun should help you meet your vitamin D quota. Eating more vitamin D fortified foods, such as fortified cereal, can also help raise your vitamin D levels.
Readers: How much vitamin D do you try to include in your diet?
Sources:
Study: Vitamin D Supplementation Helps Rats Lose Weight, Stabilizes Blood Glucose – ScienceDaily.com
Vitamin D Can Lower Weight, Blood Sugar Via the Brain – NewsWise.com
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