I'm sure you've heard it before, but does Vitamin D3 help you with weight loss? Many of us have heard about the beneficial effects that the D3 vitamin can have on our health, but few may be aware of the weight-loss properties that this essential nutrient has to offer. Anyone looking for a metabolism boost should seriously consider adding a vitamin D3 supplement to their diet. Research shows that over 41% of people may be suffering from a vitamin D deficiency.
But you may be wondering: how exactly does vitamin D3 play a role in weight loss?
Vitamin D may help promote weight loss and boost metabolism in specific individuals. Vitamin D3 supplementation has been linked with reduced weight, body mass index, waist circumference, etc.
So if you’re interested in learning more about how a daily vitamin D3 supplement can help you reach your weight goals, keep reading.
This blog will examine the science behind this nutrient as a metabolism booster and look at some of the clinical weight-loss results others have experienced from implementing vitamin D into their diets.
What is vitamin D3?
Vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, is a fat-soluble vitamin called “the sunshine vitamin” because our bodies can synthesize it from ultraviolet rays.
This vitamin is best known for its benefits in promoting healthy bones, as it plays an essential role in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. But you may be wondering: how can a vitamin known for bone health also help you lose weight?
The relationship between vitamin D and body weight
There’s plenty of evidence that suggests a strong link between vitamin D levels and obese people.
Multiple studies have shown that vitamin D deficiencies are more prevalent in overweight and obese individuals. There’s an inverse association between body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC).
This means that the higher levels of D vitamin there are in the body, the lower our BMI and WC are likely to be.
For this reason, vitamin D3 supplementation is considered a treatment option for individuals who need to intake a higher amount of vitamin D to lose more weight.
How can vitamin D3 help with weight loss?
So how exactly does vitamin D work in our bodies to aid in fat loss and prevent weight gain?
Research shows that vitamin D3 reduces the formation of new fat cells and suppresses the storage of current fat cells. These functions help reduce the overall accumulation of fat in the body and result in weight loss.
Vitamin D3 has also been studied to increase the production of testosterone, which can result in lower body weight. Testosterone therapy has often been used as a weight-loss treatment in men with lower levels of this hormone.
But now that we know the science behind how vitamin D3 helps us lose weight, we may be wondering: is there any evidence that it works?
Luckily, the answer is yes - one study published their findings that vitamin D supplementation decreased overall weight, body mass index, and waist and hip circumference in test subjects.
Further studies determined that women who were deficient in vitamin D experienced more significant improvements in weight after taking vitamin D3 supplements over 12 months.
Because the effects of this nutrient on weight are so impressive, anyone who’s trying to drop some pounds should consider taking vitamin D for weight loss.
That’s precisely why FuelOrganics offers a high-quality vegan vitamin D3 supplement for those of us looking to boost our metabolism and maintain a healthy weight.
Final thoughts
The weight loss journey can be difficult, so we should take every step necessary to provide our bodies with the nutrients that promote a healthy weight.
Luckily, there are many nutrients that we can increase our intake of by using dietary supplements if we aren’t getting enough from our everyday diet.
Vitamin D3 is an excellent example of one of these nutrients and can be added to our diet to increase our metabolism and reduce belly fat.
For more information on vitamin D benefits, check out this article about Vitamin D3 and energy.
Trusted sources
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- Khosravi, Z. S., Kafeshani, M., Tavasoli, P., Zadeh, A. H., & Entezari, M. H. (2018). Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Weight Loss, Glycemic Indices, and Lipid Profile in Obese and Overweight Women: A Clinical Trial Study. International journal of preventive medicine, 9, 63. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_329_15
- Wood RJ. Vitamin D and adipogenesis: new molecular insights. Nutr Rev. 2008 Jan;66(1):40-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2007.00004.x. PMID: 18254883.
- Nimptsch, K., Platz, E. A., Willett, W. C., & Giovannucci, E. (2012). Association between plasma 25-OH vitamin D and testosterone levels in men. Clinical endocrinology, 77(1), 106–112. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2265.2012.04332.x
- Khosravi, Z. S., Kafeshani, M., Tavasoli, P., Zadeh, A. H., & Entezari, M. H. (2018). Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Weight Loss, Glycemic Indices, and Lipid Profile in Obese and Overweight Women: A Clinical Trial Study. International journal of preventive medicine, 9, 63. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_329_15
- Mason, C., Xiao, L., Imayama, I., Duggan, C., Wang, C. Y., Korde, L., & McTiernan, A. (2014). Vitamin D3 supplementation during weight loss: a double-blind randomized controlled trial. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 99(5), 1015–1025. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.073734