Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity (Aug 2019)
Linking the metabolic syndrome and obesity with vitamin D status: risks and opportunities for improving cardiometabolic health and well-being
Abstract
Meis Moukayed,1 William B Grant21School of Arts and Sciences, American University in Dubai, Dubai, UAE; 2Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center, San Francisco, CA 94164-1603, USACorrespondence: William B GrantSunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center, P.O. Box 641603, San Francisco, CA 94164-1603, USAEmail [email protected]: The global death toll from noncommunicable diseases is exceptionally high, reported to cause 71% of global deaths worldwide. Metabolic syndrome risk factors, especially excessive adiposity and obesity, are at the heart of the problem resulting in increased co-morbidities such as cardiometabolic diseases and cancer, increased health costs, poorer quality of life, and shortened survival. Vitamin D3 can positively reverse many of these adverse effects and outcomes through blocking signaling mechanisms that predispose to cardiometabolic and metastatic disease. As an affordable natural agent, vitamin D3 can be used to counteract obesity-induced inflammation, block early adipogenesis, enhance glucose uptake, counteract hyperleptinemia, ameliorate insulin resistance, and reduce hypertension. This is supported by data from in vitro, in vivo and epidemiological studies and clinical trials. We propose that everyone in general and obese patients in particular consider raising 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels through UVB exposure and/or supplemental vitamin D3 intake to reduce cardiometabolic and metastatic disease and increase longevity.Keywords: vitamin D, metabolic syndrome, obesity, adipose tissue, cardiovascular disease, risk reduction
