A study with 90 young women aged between 16 and 22 found that almost 60 per cent were vitamin D insufficient, and that muscle fat levels were higher in these women, compared with women with normal vitamin D levels, according to findings published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. The findings are said to be the first to show a clear link between Vitamin D levels and the accumulation of fat in muscle tissue, and add to an ever growing body of science supporting the benefits of maintaining healthy vitamin D levels. In collaboration with Dr Vincente Gilsanz from the University of Southern California, the McGill researchers recruited the young Californian women and measured blood levels of 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the non-active ‘storage’ form of the vitamin, as well as levels of fat, muscle mass, and percent muscle fat. While our bodies do manufacture vitamin D on exposure to sunshine, the levels in some northern countries are so weak during the winter months that our body makes no vitamin D at all, meaning that dietary supplements and fortified foods are seen by many as the best way to boost intakes of vitamin D. read more
[Tags]d, vitamin, levels, fat, muscle, women, weight loss news[/Tags]
