In a study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, scientists found new evidence that vitamin D may be metabolized differently in individuals with a high body mass index (BMI).
The research analyzed data from a nationwide clinical study that examined whether taking vitamin D or marine omega-3 supplements could reduce the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, or stroke.
The Role of Vitamin D in the Body
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient involved in numerous biological processes, most notably helping the body absorb minerals like calcium and magnesium.
While our bodies naturally produce some vitamin D in response to sunlight, deficiencies are often treated with supplementation.
There is also evidence suggesting that vitamin D may play a role in the prevention of cancer and heart disease.
The Study and Its Findings
The researchers analyzed data from 16,515 participants from the original trial and an additional 2,742 individuals who provided a follow-up blood sample after two years.
They measured levels of total and free vitamin D, as well as several other novel biomarkers for vitamin D, such as its metabolites, calcium, and parathyroid hormone, which helps the body utilize vitamin D.
The findings revealed that vitamin D supplementation increased most of the biomarkers linked to vitamin D metabolism in people, regardless of their weight.
However, these increases were significantly smaller in individuals with high BMIs.
This observation could help explain why vitamin D supplementation results in a 30–40% reduction in cancer deaths, autoimmune diseases, and other outcomes among those with lower BMIs but has minimal benefit in those with higher BMIs.
Implications and Future Directions
These findings suggest that it may be possible to achieve benefits across the population with more personalized dosing of vitamin D. The research, led by Deirdre K. Tobias, was published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
This study adds to our understanding of the role of vitamin D in health and disease and highlights the potential need for personalized vitamin D supplementation based on individual factors such as BMI.
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