WASHINGTON, Jun 16, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- People whose vitamin D levels test
high before going on a diet experience better weight loss than those with lower
levels, U.S. researchers say.
The study found for every increase of 1 nanogram per milliliter of
25-hydroxycholecalciferola -- a precursor form of vitamin D found in the blood
-- study participants lost almost a half pound more on their calorie-restricted
diet.
Additionally, higher baseline levels of both precursor and active vitamin D
predicted greater loss of abdominal fat.
"Vitamin D deficiency is associated with obesity, but it is not clear if
inadequate vitamin D causes obesity or the other way around," Dr. Shalamar
Sibley, the study's lead author from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis,
said in a statement.
The findings suggest the possibility that the addition of vitamin D to a
reduced-calorie diet will lead to better weight loss. However, there is a need
for "the right kind of controlled clinical trial to determine if there is a role
for vitamin D supplementation in helping people lose weight when they attempt to
cut back on what they eat," the researchers said.
The study was presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in
Washington.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International