Insulin resistance in overweight youths treated Vitamin D (such as 50K IU weekly) – meta-analysis April 2024

Optimal vitamin D supplement dosage for improving insulin resistance in children and adolescents with overweight/obesity: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Eur J Nutr. 2024 Apr;63(3):763-775. doi: 10.1007/s00394-023-03301-x.
Linlian Zhu # 1, Shan Li # 2, Lijuan Zhong 3, Shiping Xu 4, Hongbin Zhu 5

Subset of results

Red is not dangerous

Those studies that included extreme high dose Vitamin D

Purpose: We conducted a network meta-analysis which aims to evaluate the comparative efficacy of different supplementation dosages of vitamin D on cardiometabolic and bone-metabolic indicators as well as insulin resistance in children and adolescents with overweight/obesity.

Methods: Eligible studies published before December 10, 2022 were retrieved from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Mean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to express pooled estimates. Network meta-analysis of multiple doses, including low (< 1000 IU/day, LDS), medium (1000-2000 IU/day, MDS), high (2000-4000 IU/day, HDS), and extremely high (> 4000 IU/day, EHDS) dosage strategy, was conducted using STATA/MP 14.0.

Results: Our network meta-analysis of 15 RCTs suggested that, compared with placebo and LDS, EHDS was increased 25-(OH)-D, with a pooled MD of 8.65 (95% CI 4.72-12.58) and 7.66 (95% CI 0.91-14.41), respectively. Meanwhile, EHDS also decreased homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (MD: - 0.74; 95% CI: - 1.45 to - 0.04) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (MD: - 18.99; 95% CI - 21.60 to - 16.38), and EHDS was also better than LDS (MD: - 18.47; 95% CI - 20.66 to - 16.28) and MDS (MD: - 19.69; 95% CI - 22.17 to - 17.21) in decreasing CRP. Ranking probability suggested that EHDS ranked best for increasing 25-(OH)-D, and decreasing HOMA-IR and CRP, with a probability of 86.1%, 83.1%, and 76.6%, respectively.

Conclusions: The results of our network meta-analysis suggest that EHDS may be the best strategy for vitamin D supplementation to reduce inflammatory responses as well as improve insulin resistance in children and adolescents with overweight/obesity.
 Download the PDF from Vitamin D Life

Vitamin D Life - 25 studies in both categories Obese and Youths

This list is automatically updated

Vitamin D Life – Overview Obesity and Vitamin D contains:

• FACT: People who are obese have less vitamin D in their blood
• FACT: Obese need a higher dose of vitamin D to get to the same level of vit D
• FACT: When obese people lose weight the vitamin D level in their blood increases
• FACT: Adding Calcium, perhaps in the form of fortified milk, often reduces weight
• FACT: 168 trials for vitamin D intervention of obesity as of Dec 2021
• FACT: Less weight gain by senior women with > 30 ng of vitamin D
• FACT: Dieters lost additional 5 lbs if vitamin D supplementation got them above 32 ng - RCT
• FACT: Obese lost 3X more weight by adding $10 of Vitamin D
• FACT: Those with darker skins were more likely to be obese Sept 2014
• OBSERVATION: Low Vitamin D while pregnancy ==> more obese child and adult
• OBSERVATION: Many mammals had evolved to add fat and vitamin D in the autumn
  • and lose both in the Spring - unfortunately humans have forgotten to lose the fat in the Spring
• SPECULATION: Low vitamin D might be one of the causes of obesity – several studies
• SUGGESTION: Probably need more than 4,000 IU to lose weight if very low on vitamin D due to
    risk factors such as overweight, age, dark skin, live far from equator,shut-in, etc.
• Obesity category has 428 items See also: Weight loss and Vitamin D - many studies   Child Obesity and Vitamin D - many studies

Obese need more Vitamin D

• Normal weight     Obese     (50 ng = 125 nanomole)

Click here for 2014 study

Vitamin D Life – Obesity is associated with low Vitamin D (and treated by D as well) – Aug 2019 contains:

Fast weight loss by Obese Adults: Summary of the data as of Sept 2019
1) 50,000 IU Vitamin D weekly for at least 6 months
   If gut problems, should use a gut-friendly form of vitamin D
2) Add calorie restriction diet and light exercise after ~2 months*
   * Vitamin D levels must be above 30ng/ml to help with weight loss
   * Start losing weight 2 months sooner if take a 50,000 IU daily for a week
3) More weight loss if also add Magnesium or cofactors
   30% Improved Vitamin D response with Magnesium - a Vitamin D Cofactor
   Note: Magnesium reduces weight loss by itself as well
   20% improved vitamin D response if also add Omega-3 a Vitamin D Cofactor
  Note: Omega-3 reduces weight loss by itself as well
4) More weight loss if also improve activation of Vitamin D Receptor
   Vitamin D Receptor activator: 0-30% improved Vitamin D response
   Obesity 1.5 X more likely if poor Vitamin D Receptor – meta-analysis Nov 2019
Update Dec 2019 - Dr. Greger plant-based eating (not diet) for both weight loss and health.
  His book does not mention Vitamin D nor Adenovirus