Sep 08, 2015 11:33 AM EDT By Rashmi Kalia, UniversityHerald Reporter

A new study has revealed that the intake of vitamin D supplements can aid in weight loss, newsmax health reports.

An Italian team led by Luisella Vigna of the University of Milan led the research.

The team pointed out that earlier research has shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of obesity and obesity-related complications.

However, the team also pointed out that earlier studies on the use of vitamin D supplements to control obesity have not proved to be conclusive.

Under the study, the research group studied 400 overweight and obese people with vitamin D deficiency. The participants were put on a low-calorie diet and then divided into three groups. One group was not given any vitamin D supplements, while the other two groups were given either 25,000 international units (IU) or 100,000 IU of vitamin D per month.

After six months, participants who took vitamin D supplements had lost more weight and had lost more in inches than those who hadn't taken the supplements.

"The present data indicate that in obese and overweight people with vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D supplementation aids weight loss and enhances the beneficial effects of a reduced-calorie diet," Vigna's team wrote. 

The researchers suggest that all overweight and obese people should have their vitamin D levels tested.

However, "this study does not suggest that everyone looking to lose weight should start taking large doses of vitamin D - or any other supplement," said Dr. Christopher Ochner, an expert in nutrition, weight loss and obesity at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, stressed adding that "most individuals are not vitamin D-deficient."

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