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Low vitamin D in kids linked to weight problems
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Vitamin D is hot these days. With research showing that Vitamin D is not just protective against osteoporosis and bone loss but also heart disease, autoimmune disorders, diabetes and certain cancers like breast and prostate, boosting daily intake of D is a no brainer.
While most Vitamin D research has been done on adults, a new study undertaken by the Medical College of Georgia illustrates the powerful effects that low Vitamin D intake can have on adolescents. Researchers found that teenagers with higher intakes of Vitamin D had lower body fat and lower amounts of visceral fat, the kind of dangerous fat that sits along your abdomen which has been implicated in cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and strokes in comparison to teenagers who consumed lower amounts of Vitamin D.
In addition, this study showed that these differences were marked by ethnicity and gender. Black females reported the lowest amounts of Vitamin D intake and also had the highest body fat and visceral fat percentages while black males had low Vitamin D intake but had the lowest percentages of body and visceral fat of all the 650 teenagers that were studied. White males were the only group that received the recommended daily amounts.
While scientists are not exactly sure why these discrepancies along ethnicity and gender exist, they do know that darker-skinned people obtain less vitamin D from the sun because the extra melanin in their skin filters out more sunlight. Studies like this also elucidate the fact that getting enough Vitamin D is just as important for adolescents, particularly young females, as it is for adults when it comes to maintaining a healthy body weight and staving off weight-related diseases. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently doubled its recommendations for Vitamin D to 400 units each day in light of the mounting research extolling the myriad benefits of this wonder vitamin.
Both parents and children have several options for upping their daily dosage. Salmon, mackerel, tuna and cod liver oil are all great sources of D, but not necessarily kids’ first picks in the cafeteria line.
The alternative? Sunlight.
Our bodies produce Vitamin D when exposed to UVB rays but since many kids don’t spend enough time outside or live in northern sun-deprived climates during the long winter months, getting Vitamin D through natural sunlight also poses a challenge for today’s youth.
Health experts encourage parents to add more D-rich foods to their kids’ diets, getting at least 30 minutes of adequate sun exposure several times a week, and taking a quality Vitamin D supplement.
While the reasons are many why kids don’t get enough Vitamin D, as science is showing us, the consequences of not employing these preventive measures are serious and should not be dismissed. Fortunately, small and simple lifestyle changes can increase levels of Vitamin D and open up the door for the healthy benefits of this powerful nutrient to take hold.
For more info:
Medical College of Georgia - Not enough vitamin D in the diet could mean too much fat on adolescents
Mark's Daily Apple - Don't Let "D" Stand for Deficiency
Medical College of Georgia - Not enough vitamin D in the diet could mean too much fat on adolescents
Mark's Daily Apple - Don't Let "D" Stand for Deficiency
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