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Can Lack of Vitamin D Cause Weight Gain?

Vitamin D deficiency may cause weight gain in women over 65 compared to women who have adequate levels of the vitamin, according to a study. The amount of weight gained was relatively small, about 2 pounds.
Vitamin D deficiency may cause weight gain in women over 65 compared to women who have adequate levels of the vitamin, according to a study. The amount of weight gained was relatively small, about 2 pounds. 

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps the body absorb dietary calcium and phosphorus from the intestines and suppresses the release of parathyroid hormone, a hormone that causes bone resorption. Vitamin D serves to keep the bones healthy and helps improve muscle and immune function. 

Lack of vitamin D or low levels of vitamin D (vitamin D deficiency) may cause weight gain in women over 65. One study showed that older women who had low levels of vitamin D gained more weight over 5 years than women who had adequate levels of the vitamin. 

However, the amount of weight gained was relatively small, about 2 pounds, and the women with low levels of vitamin D weighed more at the start of the study than the women who had adequate vitamin D levels. Studies have also shown that being overweight is a risk factor for vitamin D deficiency. 

Other symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include:

How Can I Supplement Vitamin D?

Treatment for vitamin D deficiency includes:

  • Vitamin D supplements
  • Additional supplements
    • Calcium — 1000 mg of calcium per day for premenopausal women and men and 1200 mg per day for postmenopausal women

What Foods Contain Vitamin D?

Foods that are good sources of vitamin D include those listed in the table below.

Vitamin D Foods Chart
Type of Food Examples

Seafood
  • Tuna
  • Salmon
  • Trout
  • Sardines
Meat and poultry
  • Chicken breast
  • Ground beef
  • Beef liver

Vegetables
  • Mushrooms
    • white
    • portabella

Dairy products
  • Milk, vitamin D fortified
  • Cheddar cheese

Other
  • Eggs
  • Cod liver oil
  • Plant-based milks (e.g., soy, almond, oat), vitamin D fortified
  • Ready-to-eat cereals, vitamin D fortified

How to Get Vitamin D Apart from Diet

  • Exposure to sunlight is another source of vitamin D, but too much sun exposure can lead to sunburn, premature skin aging, eye damage, heat exhaustion or heat stroke, and skin cancer.
  • Talk to your doctor about how much sun exposure you may need and how to get exposure safely. 

What Causes Vitamin D Deficiency?

Vitamin D deficiency may be caused by:

  • Low levels of vitamin D in the diet combined with inadequate sun exposure
  • Certain conditions that result in an inability to absorb vitamin D from the intestines
    • Celiac disease
    • Crohn's disease
    • Cystic fibrosis
    • Surgery that removes or bypasses portions of the stomach or intestines such as gastric bypass
  • An inability to process vitamin D due to kidney or liver disease
  • Certain medications

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References
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

https://www.uptodate.com/contents/vitamin-d-deficiency-beyond-the-basics?search=vitamin%20d%20deficiency&source=search_result&selectedTitle=2~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=2

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22731629/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30635144/