Latest Fat ‘D’fender
Study: Fat Tummies Tied to Low Vitamin D Levels in Adolescents
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
Related Posts
- Benefits of Vitamin D for Heart Disease
- Increased Vitamin D Intake Can Ward Off Cancer, Study Shows
- Vitamin C for Healthy Blood Pressure
- Benefits of Vitamin D for Tuberculosis Patients
- Vitamin D Significantly Lowers Cancer Risk, Researchers Conclude
 
|
Enjoy this article? We guarantee your privacy. Your email address will NEVER be rented, traded or sold. |
Visit my new site: Self Help On The Web
 |
 |
Posted: March 17th, 2009 under Vitamin D, Vitamin Deficiencies.
Tags: vitamin d children deficiency, vitamin d children dosage
