As Mindbodygreen Vice President of Science Ashley Jordan Ferreira, Ph.D., RDN, explained in a previous article, “less serum vitamin D. [aka, 25(OH)D]circulating in our blood means that less D is available to our kidneys and other target tissues for conversion to its active hormonal form for its pleiotropic effects in our body.”

In other words, the more obese a person is, the more likely they are to have insufficient levels of vitamin D. “Note that this is just one way obesity can compromise vitamin D status and its ability to do its ubiquitous work in our bones, muscles, immune cells, brain, liver, and more,” adds Ferreira.

Research suggests that there may also be a dilution factor and even metabolic differences for major vitamin D pathways in individuals with more adipose tissue (as measured by body fat percentage, waist circumference, and BMI). Regardless of the exact mechanisms, science shows a clear inverse relationship between adipose tissue and vitamin D1 status.

In fact, vitamin D levels have been found to play a role in metabolic health factors ranging from weight loss and body composition to blood sugar balance and hunger hormone regulation:*