Did You Know…that increasing levels of vitamin D in your body if you are obese and vitamin D deficient can help you lose weight?
Conventional wisdom warns us to avoid the sun at all costs and always wear sunscreen. Unfortunately, the ramifications of this misguided advice are serious. Vitamin D is mainly produced through adequate sun exposure. So if we block out the sun entirely, we are left at risk for vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency—a diagnosis that afflicts 50% of the United States and an estimated 1 billion of the global population!
Those with dark skin, as well as the elderly and obese, are most at risk for vitamin D deficiencies. Signs that you might need to amp up your exposure to the sun include:
Obesity
Achy bones
Mood swings and depression
Sweating profusely on the head,
neck, or face
Poor immune function
A new study presented at the 2015 European Congress on Obesity further illuminates the connection between vitamin D deficiency and obesity. According to University of Milan scientists, people with vitamin D deficiency who were overweight or obese lost weight by increasing their vitamin D levels.
Shed Pounds with Vitamin D Supplements
Researchers examined data collected from 2011 to 2013 on 400 obese or overweight patients with vitamin D deficiency. These patients were put on a low-calorie diet and then separated into 3 test groups.
- Group 1 was given no supplements
- Group 2 was given 25,000 International Units (IUs) of vitamin D per month
- Group 3 was given 100,000 IUs of vitamin D per month
At the end of 6 months, only those given 100,000 IUs a month had sufficient vitamin D levels… but both groups that supplemented with vitamin D lost weight. Researchers advise getting tested for vitamin D insufficiency if you are currently obese. Just ask your doctor for a 25(OH)D blood test. Optimal ranges fall between 50 and 70 ng/ml. If you are deficient, then the researchers recommend supplementing with vitamin D.
Experts suggest a daily dose between 2000 and 5000 IUs. In the summer, your body produces 10,000-20,000 IUs of vitamin D every hour when your skin is exposed to the sun, and research has shown that up to 10,000 IUs of vitamin D can be taken internally each day with no adverse side effects.
Step Into the Sun
If you need to raise your body’s vitamin D levels, experts advise making an effort to spend more time in the sun, taking care to expose large surface areas of your skin—like the back of the legs and the arms—to the sun (without SPF protection).
The best time for vitamin D production is at noon, when vitamin D is made quickly and efficiently. All it takes is a short time in the sun unexposed (10-15 minutes for fair-skinned individuals) to reach optimal vitamin D levels. You’re just looking to get 1/2-1 shade darker. Any more than that and you could burn and damage your skin.
Vitamin D levels can also be affected by herbicides, such as glyphosate, which is used on conventional produce and genetically engineered crops. Glyphosate has been shown to interfere with the enzymes in the liver and kidneys that are responsible for making vitamin D. Avoid processed foods, and eat organic, local, and fresh. While you’re at it, eat vitamin D-rich foods, such as eggs, salmon, tuna and mackerel but be aware that eating these foods alone are not enough to ensure adequate vitamin D levels in your body. The sun is a must!
