There are many people that are still struggling with weight loss, resistance to date even after years of being on a healthy diet, exercising and taking supplements as part of their weight loss regimen. Lack of high-quality sleep, chronic stress, high body toxicity, thyroid fatigue, food intolerances, are just but a few examples of culprits that create weight loss resistance.
Another culprit that, granted, has a lot of important health functions to our body, but lack of it could be responsible for your weight loss plateau. What are we talking about? Vitamin D deficiency. Also known as the “sunshine vitamin” due to its connection with the sun, Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is produced naturally by exposing your bare skin to sunlight. You can also get vitamin D by taking supplements if you’re worried about exposing your skin to the sun or get it through certain fortified foods such as milk, fresh orange juice, yogurt, salmon, sardines, shrimp, egg yolk, cereal, etc.
Vitamin D deficiency is very common, especially for individuals who neither supplement or get frequent sun exposure. You are more likely to be deficient if, among other things, you feel constantly fatigued, you get viruses and bacterial infections often, including bone and back pain. Vitamin D deficiency can also present itself through mood swings, and depression, bone and hair loss, brittle nails, the list is endless.
Their is a direct correlation between inadequate levels of Vitamin D in the blood and its direct effect on weight. Being a hormone, this important vitamin affects the storage of fats and the production of fat cells in the body. It also affects hormones such as testosterone, which is linked to body fat, and serotonin, which is known to regulate appetite. Not only are low vitamin D levels associated with obesity, but recent studies have also found that obese and overweight individuals who supplement with 100,000 IU of Vitamin D regularly report an average weight loss of 8.4 pounds in body fat and 5.48 cm from their waist after six months.
According to the US Institute of Medicine, an average daily intake of 400–800 IU, or 10–20 micrograms, is adequate for a ‘normal’ person. However, individuals who are vitamin D deficient such as postmenopausal women, overweight or obese people need to take about 5000 IU to reach blood levels above 30 ng/ml.
It is quite clear that not only is Vitamin D essential for bone health as it helps in the absorption of calcium and phosphorous in the body, supplementing may just be what you need to help you achieve your weight loss goals. In addition to that, inadequate levels of the Vitamin D, especially in vegetarians and vegans do not have enough animal-based sources of this vitamin may be at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis and reduced mineral density.