Vitamin D and Obesity
Discipline of General Practice, School of Population Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, SA 5005, Australia
Nutrients 2013, 5(3), 949-956; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu5030949
Received: 16 February 2013 / Revised: 12 March 2013 / Accepted: 14 March 2013 / Published: 20 March 2013
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vitamin D and Human Health)
Obesity is a significant health problem world-wide, particularly in developed nations. Vitamin D deficiency is pandemic, and has been implicated in a wide variety of disease states. This paper seeks to examine the consistently reported relationship between obesity and low vitamin D concentrations, with reference to the possible underlying mechanisms. The possibility that vitamin D may assist in preventing or treating obesity is also examined, and recommendations for future research are made. There is a clear need for adequately-powered, prospective interventions which include baseline measurement of 25D concentrations and involve adequate doses of supplemental vitamin D. Until such studies have been reported, the role of vitamin D supplementation in obesity prevention remains uncertain.
Keywords:
vitamin D; obesity; overweight; calcium