To Little Vitamin D May Add to Obesity’s Burden

Too Little Vitamin D May Add to Obesity’s Burden

HealthDayApril 15, 2014Leave a Comment SHARE

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, April 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Severely obese people with vitamin D deficiency may be less mobile than those with normal levels of the vitamin, a new study says.

Poor physical functioning can reduce quality of life and increase the risk of early death, the researchers noted.

The study included 252 severely obese people who were timed as they walked 1,640 feet and climbed up and down a single step 50 times. The participants also gave blood samples and estimates of their levels of physical activity.

Those with the lowest vitamin D levels had the slowest walking times and the lowest amounts of physical activity, according to the study published April 15 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

“People with severe obesity already are eight times more likely to have poor physical function than people with a healthy [body weight],” study co-author Tomas Ahern, of St. Columcille’s Hospital and St. Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, said in a journal news release.

“Poor vitamin D status contributes to the deterioration of physical function in this population. Among those with severe obesity, 43 percent are at risk of vitamin D deficiency,” he added.

About 6.5 percent of American adults are severely obese, the study authors noted in the news release.

While the study doesn’t prove that lower levels of vitamin D curtail mobility, it does suggest a link might exist between the two.

Improving vitamin D status could be a simple matter of spending more time outside, because sun exposure can boost the body’s natural vitamin D production, Ahern said.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about vitamin D.

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Our Solution

Why is vitamin D important and what AdvoCare® products contain vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble pro-hormone that exhibits numerous effects in the body and does far more than promote healthy bones and teeth. It exists in two major forms called vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Vitamin D3 is produced in skin following exposure to sunlight, specifically ultraviolet B radiation. Vitamin D is converted into 25-hydroxy-vitamin D which is the primary circulating form in our bodies. This form is then converted into the active form of the vitamin, namely 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D by the kidneys.

Due in part to the fact that people are now using sun blocking agents, and are advised to avoid exposure to the sun, over 50% of the adult population in the United States is vitamin D deficient. As a consequence, supplementation with vitamin D is essential.

The active form of vitamin D is responsible for numerous body functions including promoting healthy bones and teeth. It has been shown that supplementing with vitamin D decreases the incidence of bone fractures in the elderly by as much as one-third. Other functions of vitamin D include supporting the immune system, modulating inflammation, and decreasing the incidence of various forms of cancers including cancers of the colon, prostate, breasts, and other tissues. Recent studies have also indicated that vitamin D may help prevent the onset of diabetes.

The Daily Value (DV) for vitamin D is 400 IU. However, numerous studies suggest that this amount is insufficient to meet our bodies’ needs and that significantly higher levels are required to provide optimal benefits. Recent studies have suggested that the upper limit of safety for vitamin D is approximately 10,000 IU.

Several AdvoCare products are excellent sources of vitamin D. AdvoCare products that contain vitamin D include CorePlex® and CorePlex® with Iron tablets (1500 IU vitamin D per serving), CorePlex® Chewable tablets (800 IU vitamin D per serving), Calcium Plus tablets (500 IU per two tablets), ImmunoGuard™ (400 IU per three capsules), V100™ Tropical Chews (400 IU per two chews), V16® Energy Drink (200 IU per pouch), AdvoBar™ Meal (200 IU per bar), AdvoBar™ Snack (200 IU per bar) and AdvoCare® CitriZinc™ (200 IU per chew).

Note: Because our CalciumPlus is a citrate you are able to take it on an empty stomach. For this reason I suggest taking your second serving right at bed time.
You will find these products and more at www.getphysicallyfit.org

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