Lack of vitamin D can stunt growth and foster weight gain in girls during
puberty, according to a new study.
Researchers from the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and the University
of Southern California conducted their study in sun-drenched California and even
their vitamin D deficiency was found to cause higher body mass and shorter
stature in girls at the peak of their growing spurt.
The research team measured vitamin D in girls aged 16 to 22 using a simple blood
test (25-hydroxy vitamin D). They also assessed body fat and height to determine
how vitamin D deficiency could affect young women’s health.
“The high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in young people living in a
sun-rich area was surprising. We found young women with vitamin D insufficiency
were significantly heavier, with a higher body mass index and increased
abdominal fat, than young women with normal levels,” said study lead author,
Richard Kremer, co-director of the Musculoskeletal Axis of the MUHC.
The researchers examined 90 Caucasian and Hispanic girls and discovered that
young women with normal vitamin D levels were on average taller than peers
deficient in vitamin D.
Yet in contrast to what’s been previously reported in older women, their
investigation found no association between lack of vitamin D and bone strength.
Co-author, Dr. Vicente Gilsanz, head of musculoskeletal imaging at the
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles of the University of Southern California, said:
“Because lack of vitamin D can cause fat accumulation and increased risk for
chronic disorders later in life, further investigation is needed to determine
whether vitamin D supplements could have potential benefits in the healthy
development of young people,”
Source : Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
