Vitamin D deficiency can increase your risk of weight gain and metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome, which is the early stage of type 2 diabetes, is associated with overweight, insulin resistance, hypertension, and other metabolic disturbances. Low blood levels of vitamin D also appear to significantly increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, according to a large population study of young and middle-aged Chinese people. The researchers mention that vitamin D is important for blood sugar levels, lipid metabolism, and weight regulation. It is worth making a note of the fact that official guidelines for vitamin D supplementation are no guarantee of optimal blood levels of the nutrient.

Metabolic syndrome is spreading like a bushfire, and many people who struggle with their weight have metabolic syndrome without knowing it. The condition is a result of several metabolic disturbances that typically begin with insulin resistance, where the cellular glucose uptake becomes increasingly poor. As a result of this, you have difficulty with reaching satiety and tend to eat too much. The lipid metabolism is also disrupted, resulting in abdominal obesity, lipid disturbances, and hypertension.
In the introduction of their large population study, the authors write that there is widespread vitamin D deficiency and that several studies show that lack of vitamin D impairs several metabolic processes. The purpose of the new study was to look closer at the relation between vitamin D deficiency and metabolic syndrome in young and middle-aged Chinese people in order to find new strategies for preventing the disease.
The study included nearly 24,000 people, all of whom went for annual health checkups. The relation between blood levels of vitamin D and metabolic syndrome was assessed at each checkup. The results revealed that the quartile of participants with the lowest vitamin D levels in their blood had significantly more problems with metabolic syndrome compared with the quartile of participants with the highest vitamin D levels in their blood. This was true for the following parameters:

• Abdominal obesity (too much fat around the stomach)
• Elevated triglyceride levels
• Too little HDL (high-density lipoprotein)
• Hypertension

The researchers concluded that low blood levels of vitamin D are linked to a significantly increased risk of several metabolic syndrome parameters in young and middle-aged people in China. The scientists also wanted more focus on why and how vitamin D deficiency has a negative impact on the development of metabolic syndrome.

Vitamin D’s preventative effect on metabolic syndrome

All cells in the body have vitamin D receptors (VDR). Vitamin D controls a host of different genes and metabolic processes, and there are studies suggesting that vitamin D affects the hormone balance, lipid balance, and blood sugar balance through various mechanisms that include the body’s fat production and fat degradation plus improved insulin sensitivity and healthier insulin levels. Moreover, vitamin D helps control chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, which can otherwise cause atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

Vitamin D recommendations and requirements in connection with overweight and metabolic syndrome

The official recommendations for daily supplementation with vitamin D lie in the range between 5-20 micrograms. This, however, is no guarantee of reaching optimal blood levels of the nutrient, which should preferably be higher than 75 nmol/L. Research suggests that overweight people and people with metabolic syndrome and diabetes need a lot more vitamin D, which is because they have difficulty with converting and activating the vitamin in the liver and kidneys. If the aim is to optimize blood levels of vitamin D, some people need a lot more than others.

References:

Mi Shu et al. Relationship between Circulation 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Metabolic Syndrome in Chinese Adults: A Large Nationwide Longitudinal Study. Nutrients. 2024

Yixue Yang et al. Effects of vitamin D supplementation on the regulation of blood lipid levels in prediabetic subjects: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2023

Deirdre K. Tobias et al.  Association of Body Weight With Response to Vitamin D Supplementation and Metabolism. JAMA Network Open, 2023