Vitamin D supplementation in obese teens could have unintended consequences on cholesterol.
Numerous scientific studies have established a link between vitamin D deficiency and obesity. Some of them claim that this deficit induces obesity while others report that excess weight can lead to a lack of vitamin D.
Supplementation then appears as a solution to fight against deficiencies but also overweight and the associated risks.
However, supplementing adolescents has very limited benefits for the prevention of diabetes and heart disease, according to a study published this Friday in the newspaper Pediatric Obesity. This also indicates that this intake would increase cholesterol levels and fat storage.
“After 3 months of supplementation, these adolescents showed no change in terms of weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure or blood flow,” says Dr. Seema Kumar, pediatrician endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic (Minnesota, United States) and responsible for this work. We’re not saying the link between vitamin D deficiency and chronic disease doesn’t exist, yet we haven’t found it yet ”.
High dose toxic
The specialist has been studying the effect of vitamin D supplementation in children for over 10 years. But this is the first time that it has shown an increase in cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.
Unintended consequences attributed to the small group of participants of a study carried out over a short period of time. She therefore wishes to continue this research in placebo-controlled trials aimed at examining the long-term effects of this external intake.
However, Dr Seema Kumar underlines the risks associated with too much vitamin D intake. Indeed, excess of this vitamin can be toxic and cause nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and kidney complications.
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