Vitamin D and Weight Loss

Slim down to amp up levels of vitamin D. Low amounts of the nutrient are associated with diabetes, bone loss and heart disease.
Lose weight to gain vitamin D. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, overweight or obese individuals with low vitamin D can bring their levels up significantly by dropping 15 percent of their body weight.
Why should you care? Well, vitamin D may be something of a nutritional superhero. Not only is it crucial for healthy bones, it may also play a role in keeping illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers at bay. To say that it’s important to get adequate amounts for your health is an understatement. Unfortunately, vitamin D can be somewhat tough to come by, because it’s present in only a few foods, like fatty fish and fortified milk. People who are overweight or obese (that’s 64 percent of us!) appear to be even more likely than the rest of us to have less-than-optimal levels of the nutrient. Taking off weight the healthy way takes patience and persistence (along with good eating habits and daily exercise). In the meantime, consider taking a supplement that contains 1,000 IU of vitamin D.