Obesity Require More Vitamin D Supplementation

Together with calcium, vitamin D has long been known as a component to prevent osteoporotic fractures and maintain bone health. In some recent studies have mentioned vitamin D plays a role in the pathophysiology of a number of diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. Perhaps inadvertently found a relationship that obesity is a risk factor for a number of diseases.

Recent studies mention the evidence of an association between obesity and low levels of vitamin D in the body. Can not be known with certainty the cause of vitamin D deficiency, whether because they do not get enough sunlight, low dietary vitamin D or other factors.

Study Wortsman et al. concluded that vitamin D deficiency due to obesity caused by a decrease in the bioavailability of vitamin D3 from food because the skin and accumulate in body fat. People who are obese will be less able to convert vitamin D into its active form. One of the functions of vitamin D has the function of helping the mobilization of calcium from the intestine to be brought to the bones and various other vital organs.

Some studies also support that obese patients require more vitamin D supplementation compared to patients with normal BMI, although vitamin D can also be obtained from exposure to sunlight. Institute of Medicine (IOM) stated that evidence of intake of obese patients should be higher than that of patients with normal BMI is still inconclusive.

Conclusion :

Obese patients are deficient in vitamin D due to decreased bioavailability of vitamin D3 from the skin and accumulate in the food as body fat so consequently less able to convert vitamin D into its active form (calcitriol).
Vitamin D supplementation is recommended for obese patients, so it will be able to maintain bone health of these patients.