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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Jul 8.
Published in final edited form as: Nutr Res. 2016 Dec 8;38:13–26. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2016.12.004

Table 2.

The effect of vitamin D supplementation on diet-induced weight loss

Authors (year) Study population Intervention Study design Measurements Average weight change (kg)
Weight 25(OH)D BC PTH
Mason et al (2016) [64]
Duggan et al (2015) [54]
Mason et al (2014) [57]
n=218
overweight or obese women (50–75y)
serum 25(OH)D >10ng/mL but <32 ng/mL
12 months intervention
  • weight loss intervention + 2000 IU oral vitD/day

  • weight loss + daily placebo

RCT no significant difference between groups (p≥0.05)
intervention: −7.1 (−8.7, −5.7)
control: −7.4 (−8.1, −5.4)
Shapses et al (2013) [60] n= 82
obese postmenopausal women (>50y)
6 weeks
  • 10μg vitD/day + 1.2g Ca/day + weekly 375 μg vitD

  • 10μg vitD/day + 1.2g Ca/day + placebo

RCT no significant difference between groups (p≥0.05)
supplement: −3.0 ± 1.2
placebo: −3.3 ± 1.2
Zhu et al (2013) [62] n=43
overweight or obesewomen (n=40) and men (n=3) (18–25y)
12 weeks
  • energy-restricted diet (− 500kcal/d) + 600 mg Ca + 125 IU vitD

  • energy-restricted diet

RCT no significant difference between groups (p≥0.05)
supplement: −4.2 ± 0.4
no supplement: −3.5 ± 1.4
Salehpour et al (2012) [59] n=77
overweight or obese women (mean age 38 ± 8.1y)
12 weeks
  • vitD 25μg/day

  • placebo (25 μg lactose/day)

RCT no significant difference between groups (p≥0.05)
supplement: 0.3 ± 1.5
placebo: 0.1 ± 1.7
Rosenblum et al (2012) [58] n=171
overweight or obese women (n=152) and men (n=19) (18–65y)
16 weeks
  • 240 ml of regular orange juice 3x/day (RJ control)

  • 240 ml of regular orange juice 3x/day + 350mg CA + 100 IU vitD (RJ caD)

  • 240 ml or lite orange juice 3x/day (LJ control)

  • 240 ml of regular orange juice 3x/day + 350mg CA + 100 IU vitD (LJ CaD)

  • 240 ml of unfortified juice 3x/day (combined control)

  • 240 ml of unfortified juice 3x/day + 350mg CA + 100 IU vitD (combined caD)

RCT no significant difference between groups (p≥0.05)
RJ control: −2.4 ± 3.5
RJ caD: −2.2 ± 3.0

LJ control: −2.3 ± 2.9
LJ caD: −2.9 ± 3.8

combined control: −2.4 ± 3.2
combined caD: −2.5 ± 3.3
Holecki et al (2008) [55] n=44
obese women (45–55y)
3 months
  • Ca carbonate + 25(OH)D

  • weight reduction therapy

RCT no significant difference between groups (p≥0.05)
supplement: − 7.0 ± 2.6
no supplement: − 8.4 ± 3.7
Zittermann et al (2009) [63] n=200
overweight women (n=124) and men (n=76)(18–70y)
12 months
weight reducing program
  • + 83 μg vitD/day

  • + placebo

RCT no significant difference between groups (p≥0.05)
supplement: −5.7 ± 5.8
placebo: −6.4 ± 5.6
Sneve et al (2008) [61] n=445
overweight or obese women (n=286) or men (n=159)(21–70y)
  • 20,000 IU vitD 2x/week (DD)

  • 20,000 IU vitD/week + placebo (DP)

  • placebo 2x/week (PP)

RCT no significant difference between groups (p≥0.05)
DD: 0.1 ± 3.8
DP: 0.3 ± 3.2
DP: 0.5 ± 3.9
Major et al (2007) [56] n=63
overweight or obese women (mean age 43.6 ± 5.0y)daily calcium intake of <800 mg/d
15 weeks
weight loss intervention
  • + 600 mg Ca +200 IU vitD 2x/day

  • + placebo 2x/day

RCT no significant difference between groups (p≥0.05)
−3.5 (−4.0, −3.0)
supplement: −4 ± 0.7
placebo: −3.0 ± 0.6

Abbreviations: 25(OH)D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D; PTH, Parathyroid hormone; vitD, vitamin D; Ca, calcium; IU vitD, international Unit vitamin D (=0,025 μg vitD); BC, body composition; RCT, randomized controlled trial; y, year;