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Topical Area: Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and Minerals (Poster Session)

(P11-048-23) Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated With Less Favourable Body Fat Content and Distribution in Healthy Adults-Findings From the Cross-Sectional BODYCON Study

Saturday, July 22, 2023
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET
Location: Poster Board 287

    Presenting Author(s)

  • EO

    Ezgi Ozen, Dr (she/her/hers)

    Postdoctoral Research Assistant
    Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences and Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research and Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6DZ, UK
    Reading, England, United Kingdom

    • Co-Author(s)

  • RM

    Rada Mihaylova

    Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences and Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research and Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, University of Reading

  • Julie A. Lovegrove, B.Sc. , PhD

    Hugh Sinclair Chair in Human Nutrition, Nutrition Society President
    University of Reading, Reading, UK
    Reading, England, United Kingdom

  • KJ

    Kim G. Jackson, B.Sc. , PhD

    University of Reading
    Reading, Alaska, United States

Disclosure(s):
Ezgi Ozen, Dr: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: Although lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations are associated with a greater body mass index (BMI) and increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD), the relationship with body fat distribution is unclear. Therefore, our objective was to analyse the associations between 25(OH)D concentrations with body composition and CMD risk markers in healthy adults.

Methods: The BODYCON cross-sectional study was conducted in 361 healthy adults (mean age 42 (SE 1) y and BMI of 24.1 (SE 0.2) kg/m2). Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry assessed body composition and dietary intakes evaluated using a 4-day weighed diet diary. A fasting blood sample was collected to measure CMD risk markers and 25(OH)D concentrations (UPLC-MS/MS). Subjects were stratified according to serum 25(OH)D levels: I ( < 10ng/mL, severe deficiency, n=26), II (10-19.9 ng/mL, moderate deficiency, n=116), III (20-29.9 ng/mL, insufficient, n=121) and IV (≥30 ng/mL sufficient, n=88) and data analysis adjusted for covariates (age, sex, total dietary energy intake and season of study visit).

Results: In this cohort, only 35% of the subjects had sufficient serum 25(OH)D levels, with 3.3% consuming adequate dietary vitamin D. After dividing the group according to serum 25(OH)D levels, the waist:height ratio was significantly higher and android lean mass lower in group I versus group IV (p≤0.02). Percentage android fat and total fat mass were lower in group IV compared to I and II and these findings were associated with a higher total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations (p≤0.01). Percentages of body fat and gynoid fat were also lower in group IV versus all other groups whereas visceral adipose tissue fat mass was lower in group IV compared with group II (p < 0.01). Moreover, there was a tendency for a higher vitamin D intake (p=0.07) and lower BMI (p=0.08) and waist circumference (p=0.09) in group IV. Interestingly, total bone mineral density was not different between groups (p=0.72), with dietary and serum 25(OH)D concentrations only weakly correlated (r=0.15, p=0.01).
Conclusions: These findings suggest that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in our cohort of healthy UK adults and that sufficient serum 25(OH)D concentrations are associated with more favourable body fat distribution and HDL-C concentrations.

Funding Sources: N/A