Vitamin D deficiency linked to weight gain

People that are deficient in Vitamin D could find it harder to lose weight, new research suggests.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to the accumulation of fat in muscle tissue by researchers at the University of Southern California.

This is despite many of the subjects taking part in the study were from healthy backgrounds, doing plenty of exercise and adhering to a good diet.

Lead researcher Dr Richard Kremer, of the McGill University Health Centre, said: “We are not yet sure what is causing Vitamin D insufficiency in this group.

“Fat tissues might absorb or retain Vitamin D, so that people with more fat are likely to also be Vitamin D deficient.”

The findings have been published following research in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, which indicated that obese teenage girls with a greater ratio of visceral fat are likely to have lower bone density.

Are you getting enough Vitamin D in your diet?