Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in relation to dietary fat intake and body fat concentration in Caucasian and Asian women

Abstract

Growing obesity rates cultivated by transitions in lifestyle factors has manufactured a plethora of related non-communicable illnesses including cardio-metabolic disease. Although classically associated with skeletal health, the discovery of vitamin D receptors in numerous non-skeletal tissues and cells (including adipose)(1) combined with the association between serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and diseases commonly allied with obesity(2), supports 25(OH)D association with dietary fat and adiposity. This study aimed to examine the relationship between intake of various dietary fats and body fat composition with serum 25(OH)D in 110 pre- and postmenopausal Caucasian and Asian women. All anthropometric measures, dietary data and serum 25(OH)D levels were provided by the D-FINES study (Vitamin D, Food Intake, Nutrition and Exposure to Sunlight in Southern England) conducted at the University of Surrey. All subject anthropometric, fat intake and serum 25(OH)D measurements were statistically analysed, and mean fat intakes were compared against UK recommendations. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship between serum 25(OH)D, anthropometry, and dietary fat intake in all ethnic and menopausal sub-groups. The results illustrate no significant difference between any anthropometric variable other than BMI in postmenopausal women of both ethnicities (P = 0.005), possibly a result of low subject number. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed in consumption of any dietary fat between sub-groups, likely due to limited subject response to the dietary assessment. However, serum 25(OH)D levels were significantly lower in both pre- and postmenopausal Asian women when compared to Caucasian women (P = 0.000). The table below displays a significant negative association linking serum 25(OH)D with weight and BMI in postmenopausal Caucasian women only. Statistical analysis found no significant association between 25(OH)D and fat intakes in any of the sub-groups. Consequently, this study demonstrated serum 25(OH)D to be associated with weight and BMI, but not fat consumption. It is suggested that deficiency is targeted in Asian women, and further research with a larger sample size is recommended. (Table Presented).