Weight Loss Combined With Vitamin D Supplements Reduces Chronic Inflammation

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have found that weight loss, in combination with vitamin D supplements, has a greater effect on reducing chronic inflammation than weight loss alone. Chronic inflammation is known to contribute to the development and progression of many diseases including cancer, and being overweight has been associated with a  state of chronic inflammation.

Results of their study which involved over 200 overweight and vitamin D deficient postmenopausal women, has been published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research

“We know from our previous studies that by losing weight, people can reduce their overall levels of inflammation, and there is some evidence suggesting that taking vitamin D supplements can have a similar effect if one has insufficient levels of the nutrient,” said lead researcher Catherine Duggan, Ph.D . “It’s the first study to test whether adding vitamin D augments the considerable effect of weight loss on inflammatory biomarkers.” ‘

At the end of the study, all of the participants had reduced levels of inflammation, regardless of whether they took vitamin D, “which highlights the importance of weight loss in reducing inflammation,” Duggan said. However,those who  lost at least 5 to 10 percent of their baseline body weight had the most significant decline in markers of inflammation when they took vitamin D supplementation. “That suggests vitamin D can augment the effect of weight loss on inflammation.”

Vitamin D plays a role in regulating calcium levels and bone metabolism. Vitamin D receptors are found in more than 30 cell types and there has been extensive  research around this nutrient’s potential health benefits .

Overweight or obese people, however, exist in a state of chronic inflammation because excess fatty tissues produce cytokines, molecules that are inflammatory and normally present for only a short time, while the body is fighting infection, for example. “It is thought that this state of chronic inflammation is pro-tumorigenic, that is, it encourages the growth of cancer cells,” she said.”Weight loss reduces inflammation, and thus represents another mechanism for reducing cancer risk,” Duggan said. “If ensuring that vitamin D levels are replete, or at an optimum level, can decrease inflammation over and above that of weight loss alone, that can be an important addition to the tools people can use to reduce their cancer risk.”

Duggan encourages women to speak to their health care providers about measuring their levels of vitamin D to determine the most appropriate dosage.

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