We recently explained to you the benefits of vitamin D in our article Nature’s vitamin: D . This vitamin which stems from the sunshine has been linked to reducing the risk of many cancers, age related cognitive decline, and Multiple Sclerosis.

Vitamin D, if you recall, is a hormone that the body creates from direct exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) sunlight and is significant in bone, heart, and immune system health.

But even more recent studies are showing increasing proof of the benefits of the vitamin in teenagers. One study, done by the Medical College of Georgia, analyzed over 650 teenagers aged 14 to 19, finding that those who reported a larger amount of vitamin D intake resulted in lower overall body fat, primarily in the abdomen. This fat is known as visceral fat, which, in layman’s terms, is organ fat packed in between internal organs. Visceral fat is associated with health risks, such as stroke, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension.

In the study, black females had the lowest vitamin D intake, as well as the highest percentages of body fat and visceral fat. Black males had the lowest – although their vitamin D intake was still below the recommended levels.

Only one of the study’s groups – the white males – was getting the recommended minimum amount of vitamin D.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends an intake of minimum 400 IU of vitamin D per day for adolescents, from a natural source, such as food (like fortified milk), or sun exposure, about 30 minutes, three times a week, between noon and 3:00pm.

Although there were more details needed fo the study, this helped find a correlation between the connection of visceral fat, body fat, and vitamin D, and has opened avenues to be explored.

Source: ScienceDaily.com

Image courtesy of injuryboard.com

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