Vitamin D Helps Heart Health During Weight Loss

by | Jun 5, 2009 | 2009, Cardiovascular Health, Vitamin D - General

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Triglycerides decreased in those taking vitamin D by 17% more than in the placebo group and a marker of inflammation decreased by 7% more.

Being overweight or obese in both the United States and across the world (defined as having a body mass index of at least 25 and 30 kg/m2, respectively) has reached staggering levels. An estimated 1.6 billion adults were overweight and 400 million adults were obese worldwide in 2006 (1), with 2 in 3 Americans being classified as overweight (2).

With being overweight and obese come a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, increased risks for diabetes and heart disease, and higher levels of inflammation (3, 4). The National Institutes of Health (5) has recommended 2.5 hours of moderate exercise per week (walking briskly, water aerobics, ball room dancing, and general gardening) to help weight health.

Now a new study (6) has again pointed to vitamin D intake and obesity.  Research in 2005 found that vitamin D blood levels less than 43 nmol/L was associated with an increased risk of obesity (7). In the current study, 165 patients participating in a weight loss program received either 3332 IU of vitamin D or placebo per day for 12 months. During this time, they provided blood samples to measure for cholesterol,two inflammatory proteins called tnf-alpha and c-reactive protein, triglycerides (fat levels), and sugar/insulin levels.

By the end of 12 weeks, there were no statistically significant differences in weight loss between the two groups (12.5-lb weight loss in the vitamin D group vs. 14-lb weight loss in the placebo group). There were, however, significant differences in the blood work between the two groups. Specifically, blood levels of vitamin D increased by more than 80% in the vitamin D group compared to placebo (55.5 vs. 11.8 nmol/L increase) and levels of calcitriol, a form of vitamin D that helps regulate calcium levels (8), increased by more then 77% compared to placebo (40.0 vs. 9.3 nmol/L).

When looking at triglycerides, the vitamin D group had a 14% decrease (1.43 to 1.23 millimoles/L) compared to a 3.0% increase in the placebo group (1.31 to 1.35 mmoles/L). Finally, the inflammatory protein tnf-alpha decreased by 10.2% in the vitamin D group (7.84 to 7.04 picograms/mL) compared to only 3.2% in the placebo group (8.12 to 7.9 pg/mL).

For the researchers, “The results indicate that a vitamin D supplement of 3332 IU does not adversely affect weight loss and is able to significantly improve several cardiovascular disease risk markers in overweight subjects with inadequate vitamin D status participating in a weight-reduction program.”

Source: Zittermann, Armin, Sabine Frisch, Heiner K. Berthold, Christian Götting, Joachim Kuhn, Knut Kleesiek, Peter Stehle, Heinrich Koertke, and Reiner Koerfer. “Vitamin D supplementation enhances the beneficial effects of weight loss on cardiovascular disease risk markers.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 89, no. 5 (2009): 1321-1327.

© 2009 American Society for Nutrition

Posted June, 2009.

References:

  1. World Health Organization (WHO). Obesity and overweight. September 2006, Fact sheet no. 311. Available from: The World Health Organization website.
  2. Ogden, CL, Carroll, MD, Curtin, LR, McDowell, MA, Tabak, CJ & Flegal, KM. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. JAMA 2006;295:1549–55.
  3. Bray, GA & Bellanger, T. Epidemiology, trends, and morbidities of obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Endocrine 2006;29:109–17.
  4. Sarti, C & Gallagher, J. The metabolic syndrome: prevalence, CHD risk, and treatment. J Diabetes Complications 2006;20:121–32.
  5. “Director’s Comments: New Exercise Recommendations 11/24/08” posted on the Medline Plus website.
  6. Zittermann A.  Vitamin D supplementation enhances the beneficial effects of weight loss on cardiovascular disease risk markers.  Am J Clin Nutr 2009 89: 1321-1327. First published online March 25, 2009.
  7. Snijder, MB, van Dam, RM, Visser, M, et al.. Adiposity in relation to vitamin D status and parathyroid hormone levels: a population-based study in older men and women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2005;90:4119–23.
  8. “Calcitriol” posted on the Medline Plus website.