Dated February 17, 2023
Annabelle
Photo: Fototocam/stock.adobe.com
The pros and cons of vitamin D supplementation are discussed time and again. Because if there is no defect, it can even be too overdoses come. Whether and how much vitamin D can be used depends on various factors. One of them is obviously body weight.
Sequentially. The sun vitamin is one of the vitamins that can be produced by the body itself. Vitamin D production is stimulated both through the skin – in the form of exposure to the sun – and through eating certain foods. Experts only recommend an additional intake if a deficiency has been proven and diet and sun exposure cannot compensate for the deficit. So far, so well known.
If vitamin D needs to be supplemented, however, body weight is crucial. Accordingly, the body mass index (BMI) can influence how or how much of the sun vitamin supplied can be used.
By the way: If the vitamin D value is below 20 ng/ml, one speaks of a deficiency – the risk of diseases such as rickets, osteomalcia or osteoporosis increases. Below 30 ng/ml the supply is no longer optimal.
Vitamin D supplementation: limited benefit if body weight is high
Vitamin D is said to have numerous health-promoting effects, including a reduced risk of osteoporosis. A positive effect on the cardiovascular system, type 2 diabetes and cancer is also discussed. However, the prerequisite for this is a BMI of less than 25. Because a high body weight can limit the use of vitamin D, show data from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical VITAL study.
According to researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospitals, who have examined almost 20,000 patient data, the vitamin D metabolism in people with higher BMI values apparently works differently than in people of normal weight. Most of the biomarkers associated with vitamin D metabolism could be increased through supplementation, regardless of body weight. However, it is less for participants with a high BMI.
The reason: Vitamin D is fat-soluble and is distributed evenly in body fat. The higher this is, the more vitamin D is deposited in the fatty tissue and less gets into the blood. The result: The available vitamin D level in the blood is lower. A high body weight therefore has an influence on the use of vitamin D in the body.
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