Losing belly fat helps your body feel full and boosts vitamin D
Relationships between circulating 25(OH) vitamin D, leptin levels and visceral adipose tissue volume: results from a 1-year lifestyle intervention program in men with visceral obesity
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Vitamin D levels increased without supplementation or increased sun exposure.
Common belief: Vitamin D deficiency in obesity is due to sequestration in fat or low sun exposure. This study shows fat loss alone can reverse it—implying fat tissue actively suppresses vitamin D availability.
Practical Takeaways
Focus on losing visceral fat through consistent calorie deficit (500 kcal/day) and daily movement—this naturally raises vitamin D and lowers leptin.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Vitamin D levels increased without supplementation or increased sun exposure.
Common belief: Vitamin D deficiency in obesity is due to sequestration in fat or low sun exposure. This study shows fat loss alone can reverse it—implying fat tissue actively suppresses vitamin D availability.
Practical Takeaways
Focus on losing visceral fat through consistent calorie deficit (500 kcal/day) and daily movement—this naturally raises vitamin D and lowers leptin.
Publication
Journal
International Journal of Obesity
Year
2020
Authors
Anne Gangloff, Jean Bergeron, Isabelle Lemieux, Angelo Tremblay, Paul Poirier, Natalie Alméras, Jean-Pierre Després
Related Content
Claims (5)
Men who had excess belly fat saw their vitamin D levels go up by 27% after a year of eating better and moving more—even though they didn’t take any vitamin D pills or supplements.
If overweight men lose a lot of belly fat over a year by eating better and moving more, their hunger hormone (leptin) goes down and their vitamin D levels go up — both by about a quarter.
When overweight men lose body fat through lifestyle changes like diet and exercise over a year, their vitamin D levels go up by about 27% and their leptin (a hunger hormone) levels drop by 27%—and these two changes seem to be connected, even after accounting for how much fat they lost in different parts of their body.
In men who carry extra fat around their belly, when their vitamin D levels go up or down, their leptin levels (a hormone that affects hunger) also change — even when you account for how much fat they have in different parts of their body.
If a man with excess belly fat eats less and moves more for a year, his belly fat, hunger hormone levels, and vitamin D levels all get better.