Abstract
Background: Obesity often coexists with poor vitamin D status. There is emerging evidence that improving vitamin D status could lower prevalence of many chronic diseases. We questioned whether vitamin D influenced body fat mass.
Methods: A literature search from 1995 to date was conducted using prominent databases. Selection criteria included human, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that were designed to test the supplementation of vitamin D on body weight and composition.
Results: Eleven RCTs (4 primary and 7 secondary) that supplemented vitamin D met our criteria. Nine studies were of good quality with a Jadad et al. score ≥3. Three favoured an effect of vitamin D on body fatness, while six showed no difference between treatments. Better vitamin status before or during an RCT predicted greater weight and/or fat loss in a few trials.
Conclusion: Current evidence from RCTs of good quality did not unequivocally support the contention that vitamin D accelerated weight or fat loss in obesity. Direct mechanistic pathways for obesity prevention remain untested in humans, though an indirect effect through an improvement in calcium metabolism, was plausible. Outcomes from trials recently completed or in progress will strength the evidence base in this important area.
Keywords: Body fat, calcium, fat oxidation, insulin sensitivity, obesity, vitamin D, weight loss.
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Functional Foods in Human Health and Beyond
Foods are important source of nutrients including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and other minerals. Furthermore, the functional foods are those agents that have additional components that are essential supports to the body in terms of antioxidant and pharmacologically active agents. The predominant functional foods are of plant in origin, whereas some ...read more
Harnessing Bioactive Compounds from Food Waste: Sustainable Extraction Strategies and Health Applications
Food waste presents a significant challenge across the postharvest cycle, from agricultural production to distribution. However, within this waste lies a treasure trove of bioactive chemicals that hold immense potential for nutraceuticals, functional foods, and postharvest additives, including antimicrobials. Various extraction methods, such as solvent extraction (SE), supercritical fluid extraction ...read more
Natural Bioactive Compounds Derivatives in Nutraceutical and Food Science
In the last years, plants have been widely used for their numerous properties and now there is growing interest in the study of classes of compounds obtained from plant species or derived from them. The importance of these natural compounds lies in their important therapeutic purposes, and in their capability ...read more
Related Books
Functional Foods for Health Maintenance: Understanding their Role in Cancer Prevention
Green Extraction Techniques in Food Analysis
Algal Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals: Benefits, Opportunities, and Challenges
Micronutrients: The Key to Good Health
Capillary Electrophoresis in Food Analysis
Nutritional Biochemistry: From the Classroom to the Research Bench
Hypersensitivity to Vitamins
Foods for Special Dietary Regimens
40