Could a Vitamin D deficiency be the cause of obesity in children?

It’s hard for me to recall a time in which there was more attention paid to a specific vitamin.  It reminds me of those Sesame Street skits, where throughout the episode, the voiceover announcer would say “This has been brought to you by the letter D.” 

From avoiding colds to avoiding heart attacks, propping up skin health to propping up bone health, there’s a deluge of “D” news.  Not enough kids are getting enough of it, so health professionals have upped the ante on how much the average child ought to be getting.

So what’s the latest dealy-o on D?  Well according to researchers, adolescents’ deficiencies in D may help explain why obesity is so prevalent a problem.

A study from the Medical College of Georgia has found an interesting correlation with vitamin D and fat percentages of study participants who ranged in age from 14 to 19.  They found that those boys and girls who had the lowest levels of vitamin D in their bloodstream also had the lowest amounts of visceral fat on their body, or fat that’s found around the abdomen.  This was particularly true for young women of African-American descent.  The fact that this was true among black teenagers isn’t too surprising, though, because the high degree of melanin found in black (or tanned) skin significantly hampers the body’s ability to absorb vitamin D, which is chiefly accumulated through the sun’s rays. 

Meanwhile, those who had the highest vitamin D levels – white and fair-skinned males – had the highest vitamin D levels and lower visceral and overall body fat levels.

Because correlation does not imply causation, researchers are now looking into whether taking a daily vitamin D supplement will translate into lower overall fat levels. 

While I don’t doubt the researchers’ findings, there are a lot of questions that need ironing out before drawing any broad-based conclusions.  For instance, while black males’ blood concentration of vitamin D was below what’s recommended – 400 units per day – they were the group who had the lowest overall body fat levels.  Further, the study only looked into what the 650+ teens ate from day to day, not their exercise regimen.

As aforementioned, the best source from which to get vitamin D is the sun; just 20 minutes a day is about all one needs for an adequate vitamin D supply.  I’d be interested to know if the kids involved in the study spent any amount of time outdoors when they exercised (if they exercised at all) as compared to when they exercised indoors.  That might give the researchers a better idea of whether or not vitamin D does really play a role in visceral fat production.

This is a study that is in its initial stages, but it is certainly fodder for people to give consideration to with regards to why this vitamin is so important.

I will keep you posted on any further adolescent fat ‘D’-scoveries.

Source:
Science Daily

Dr. Ames has stated to address this problem everyone should be taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement on a daily basis. His studies have shown these relations between vitamins and late-life diseases:

1. Low magnesium intake related to bowl cancer, low blood pressure, osteoporosis  and diabetes
2. Lack of vitamin D has been linked to breast, bowel and prostate cancer
3. Calcium deficiency has been linked to diabetes
4. Lack of potassium related to heart disease
5. Low vitamin B12 has been linked to multiple sclerosis

This is not the end of the Dr. Ames studies; he has also found that daily vitamins increase the energy and memory of elderly rats used for this study. This is significant information for our society which focuses so much on quick and easy meals that have been known to lack vitamins and nutrients which are required to live a healthy life throughout our elderly years.

When it comes to choosing the vitamins and supplements you need to increase your nutrients and get away from any vitamin deficiencies it is important to speak to a naturopathic professional before buying or taking any vitamins. There are so many different supplements on the market today that it can be easy to lean towards the cheapest bottle and hope it does its job but this can be quite dangerous to your health. Without taking the time to conduct proper research on what you are putting into your body there is a good chance you are not improving your health but possibly harming it.

Alive! Multivitamin is a great place to start with your research as many naturopathic professionals will recommend this Multi-Vitamin/Whole Food supplement to you. Research what is best for your current health conditions and your diet so you are enhancing your nutrients and health for your elderly years.