Here at NordicTrackCoupons.com we know the importance of maximizing your workout with better nutrition. Many of our buyers purchase their treadmills to lose weight and for better overall health. We want you to be able to achieve those goals with the use of our treadmills, elliptical trainers and bikes.
Along with exercising, increasing your nutritional needs is a great way to help you reach these goals. We have guest author Besty Thomas today going to explain how increasing your Vitamin D intake, along with exercise, can help increase your metabolism and assist in your weight loss goals!
An optimized metabolism will definitely help you achieve your fitness and workout goals. Particularly if you’re exercising to lose some weight and tone up that body, Vitamin D has demonstrated some promising results in helping to increase your metabolism.
What It Is
Vitamin D is a rare, fat soluble vitamin that the body can produce on its own. For this reason some scientists believe that Vitamin D is more a hormone than a vitamin. The body uses the vitamin to absorb calcium and phosphorus and regulate the levels of blood calcium.
Vitamin D is also used to support muscle strength, healthy bones and skin and the immune system. Studies show that at adequate levels Vitamin D can lower a person’s risk for developing Type 1 diabetes and certain cancers, including those of the breast and colon. The body produces Vitamin D when it’s exposed to sunlight and small amounts are found in foods like fatty, cold water fish like salmon, tuna and herring, eggs and fortified milk or margarine.
Some Promising Claims About Vitamin D
New studies about Vitamin D suggest that when taken at certain dosages the vitamin might facilitate weight loss. Researchers at the University of Minnesota found that they could predict weight loss by studying a person’s levels of Vitamin D at the beginning of a weight loss program. According to the study, which was published in the June 12, 2009 edition of Science Daily, people on low calorie diets lost significant amounts of weight when they took increased dosages of Vitamin D or 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, a Vitamin D precursor. A person who had higher than usual levels of Vitamin D in their system at the beginning of the study lost an even greater amount of fat around their abdomen.
Vitamin D and Calcium
Vitamin D and calcium work closely together. In another study it was shown that people how took higher dosages of both calcium and serum Vitamin D lost more weight than people who took lower dosages. People who took about 580 mg of calcium per day lost about 12 pounds after two years. On the other hand, people who had only 150 mg of calcium a day lost only seven pounds.
Summing Up
Though the studies look promising, they’re also preliminary. More investigation has to be conducted before scientists can conclusively say higher than normal dosages of Vitamin D help dieters lose weight. However, people should still make sure that they get the proper amounts of Vitamin D for the reasons stated. The RDA of Vitamin D is 5 micrograms, or 200 I.U. Vegetarians, elderly people, alcoholics, people who have kidney disease or avoid the sun might need more. Women who are pregnant or nursing need an additional 200 I.U. of Vitamin D.
The easiest way to get the RDA of vitamin D is to go out in the sun. People need only spend five to ten minutes outside in the morning or late afternoon sun with their face, hands and arms exposed to get enough of the vitamin.
People should be careful, however, not to take too much Vitamin D, because overdoses can cause high levels of blood calcium. People who already have elevated levels of calcium shouldn’t take Vitamin D.
Author Bio: Betsy is an experienced dietician which has worked for more than twelve years with patients with chronic renal conditions. She is also part of My Diet Planr, the unique personalized diet which helps you reach your ideal weight naturally. Check out her guide to the biggest factors to avoid for consistent weight loss.
