What Studies Support Vitamin D Belly Fat Diet, Discussed on Dr. Oz Show

Dr. Oz’s special guest, Dr. Keri Peterson, is the author of a book titled “The Vitamin D Diet: the revolutionary plan that melts stubborn fat fast.” She is a medical contributor and columnist at Women’s Health magazine and claims that following her Vitamin D Diet plan can result in the loss of 15 pounds of belly fat in 5 weeks.

“What we now know from new studies is that Vitamin D causes fat cells to become more metabolically active, which helps you burn more calories,” says Dr. Peterson. “And we’ve also learned that this is fantastic for people who carry their weight around their middle—that it helps you burn it there more easily. So, in our new book what we do is discuss new ways to incorporate Vitamin D rich foods into your diet.”

She discusses how that her Vitamin D Diet is a metabolism booster that shifts an individual’s body from a fat-storing mode into a fat-burning mode. “You lose the most weight in the first week and then you transition into a 4-week period where you can lose up to 15 pounds,” she states.

Dr. Peterson also explains briefly that she believes that one of the ways Vitamin D works on melting away belly fat is that Vitamin D not only increases fat cell metabolism, but also acts as an appetite suppressant. The appetite suppressing abilities of Vitamin D is attributed to stimulating the release of the hormone Leptin, which signals the brain telling you that you are full.

However, Dr. Peterson also tells viewers that the Vitamin D Diet is a portion control based program that limits an individual to 1400-1500 calories per day of Vitamin D rich foods that will provide the body with approximately 600 IU of Vitamin D daily.

The Vitamin D rich meals she recommends include food products that are Vitamin D fortified. Foods fortified with Vitamin D are necessary because very few foods contain Vitamin D naturally. One example of a fortified meal is a breakfast that consists of three Vitamin D fortified eggs (of approximately 80 IU per egg) plus two slices of Vitamin D fortified toast for a total of about 300 IU for breakfast.

She also recommends salmon that not only provides Omega 3 fatty acids, but per serving also provides up to 1,000 IU of Vitamin D. A 5-oz. can of salmon made into a salad with 6 ounces of yogurt can give a person up to 855 IU of Vitamin D in one meal.

One surprising source of Vitamin D rich food included “Pick Mushrooms” that had been treated with UV light at the end of harvest. Look for packaging that says “High Vitamin D” on the labeling she recommends. Three ounces of UV treated mushrooms can provide 400 IU of Vitamin D.

However, if you have a day when you just cannot get to Vitamin D rich-foods she says that supplements dosed at 600-1000 IU per day is fine as well. Dr. Oz added that 10-15 minutes of exposure to sunlight without sunscreen will also provide you with his recommended daily dose of Vitamin D.

While Vitamin D has been well studied and continues to be a topic of heated debate over how much Vitamin D is helpful and how much is harmful, research has shown that it is beneficial toward:

• Promoting absorption of calcium and bone health
• Boosting immune function
• Reducing inflammation
• Healthy neuro-muscular function
• Protecting against some forms of cancer

But what about the Vitamin D Diet plan claims that it melts away belly fat? What research shows that the Vitamin D Diet can live up to its promise of weight loss in the abdominal regions?

As it turns out, an internet search of weight loss studies associating Vitamin D with loss of belly fat does appear—albeit in limited studies—in credible scientific journals.

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