Vitamin D increases cholesterol levels in teens, study confirms

Doctors are known to prescribe Vitamin D in obese individuals to counter any possible adverse effects like cardiovascular diseases and being resistant to insulin. However, a new study discovers that it can also lead to the risk of hypercholesterolemia in teens aside from not being beneficial to the health.

Medical News Today states that researchers from Mayo Clinic have discovered a possible link between Vitamin D supplement intake and development of elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels in obese teens. Furthermore, they have confirmed that it does not even reduce the risk of getting diabetes nor heart problems.

Based on the three-month period observation and examination process of 19 obese teens from age 13 to 18 who are manifesting vitamin D deficiency, there has been no significant change noted in their weight, waistline, body mass index and blood pressure or blood flow. What even surprised the team of Dr. Seema Kumar, pediatric endocrinologist and lead author of the study, is the only change they've noted is on the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood of the teens.

One out of five American teens has been reported to be suffering from obesity and almost one-third is overweight, Techie News UK reports. Because of this, more health experts are trying their best to prevent other medical conditions from occuring.

As a result, they felt the need to avoid it with Vitamin D supplements, leading to an intake of five to 10 times higher than what is usually allowed. Unfortunately, Dr. Kumar says this can result to hypervitaminosis or vitamin D toxicity which brings about nausea, poor appetite and kidney complications.

Dr. Kumar explains that the research doesn't link vitamin D supplements to any chronic diseases; however, there is still no evidence backing up that the supplements can provide any medical benefits for adolescents, writes New York Herald.

The study could have been influenced by the small number of subjects, prompting Dr. Kumar and her team to call for a larger scale study to be conducted. Conducting it in a longer period with the use of a placebo will not hurt as well, as it can provide a more in-depth review of the effects of Vitamin D in these patients.

The study is titled "Effect of Vitamin D3 Treatment on Endothelial Function in Obese Adolescents." It has been published online in the Pediatric Obesity Journal.