An adolescent who is obese needs seven times the recommended Vit D than his lean counterpart says a new study.

Team@CMHF

Obese teenagers need significantly more vitamin D than their leaner counterparts, say researchers in a new US study which suggests that current recommended guidelines are sorely insufficient.

According to the National Institutes of Health in the US, while vitamin D deficiency is common in Americans, this is especially true of overweight and obese adolescents.

And in a study, researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia say that teenagers who are obese need a daily dose of at least 4,000 IUs (International Units) to meet dietary requirements — that’s nearly seven times more than the current daily recommended intake of 600 IUs, as set out in guidelines by the Institute of Medicine, Obese adolescents absorb vitamin D in their fat stores. After giving a group of obese teens either a placebo or vitamin D3 supplements of 4,000 IU/day for six months, scientists found that while the amount may be the maximum level set by the IOM, it was safe and effective at improving teens’ vitamin D status.

Meanwhile, to help consumers meet their nutritional needs, retailers have been coming out with vitamin D-fortified products like milk and orange juice for years. In a study published earlier this year in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, scientists said that baked goods like bread could also provide a good opportunity to carry vitamin D and fill the continuing nutritional gap.

Bread made with vitamin D2-rich yeast was shown to be as beneficial in lab experiments as vitamin D3 which is found in sunshine and foods like canned salmon, sardines and cheese, scientists said.
Vitamin D enables the body to absorb calcium and is essential for maintaining strong bones.

Ref: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2011/11/08/vitamin_d_deficiency_a_bigger_problem_in_obese_teens/