Just like Army Marches on its Stomach, so do the Vitamins!
Weight gain is one of the genuine concerns of all. Oftentimes, it can occur even after adhering to a balanced eating pattern.
One of the reasons can be insufficient nutrient absorption in the body.
Various research and studies have investigated the link between low vitamin intake and weight gain.
The outcome reveals that vitamin deficiency may result in weight gain. It can be one of the factors behind the struggle to lose weight.
Are these revelations true?
Do look into vitamin deficiency can be helpful in fighting off bodyweight-related dilemmas.
This blog aims to resolve all concerned doubts by beginning to dig into the relationship between weight gain and vitamin deficiency.
Later, it states how the condition arises as a concern and how these deficiencies trigger weight gain to provide a complete picture. So, let’s unroll the discussion.
Vitamin Deficiency and Weight Gain: The Link
Table of Contents
Calorie intake and nutrient absorption are completely two distinct things. However, people consider it the same, which is the root cause of the problem.
One might meet their daily calorie requirement through a diet, but at the same time, fail to receive sufficient nutrients. It can be because of the non-nutritional source of the meal.
Let’s elaborate…
For instance, the majority of the diet is carbohydrate, but not knowing the difference between simple and complex carbs can affect the nutrient and calorie relationship.
Both are chains of sugar molecules, which on digestion provides energy to the body.
Nonetheless, simple carbs don’t offer any nutritional value but equate to complex carbs when it comes to calories. This is the reason why they are called empty calories and recommended to avoid when on a weight loss diet.
This includes food like fast food, junkies, sugary beverages, and dairy products. A diet involving these meals as a staple won’t deliver enough vitamins necessary for the body.
On the contrary, complex carbs contain impressive nutritional profiles beneficial for both weight loss and overall health.
Receiving calories from them will provide adequate vitamins. You may have also heard of people supplementing vitamins for weight loss.
Multiple large population surveys show how relying on meals from fast food can cause nutrient deficiency and weight gain at the same time.
It occurs due to the high-calorie food with a low nutrient profile available at the store. Digging deeper reveals the actual relationship between vitamin deficiency and weight gain.
How are Vitamin Deficiency and Weight Gain Linked?
Our body requires a wide variety of vitamins and minerals to facilitate multiple body processes. In case of inadequate nutrients, the body’s process, which relies on it suffers.
This results in compromised body function. In the long run, this can consequently trigger adverse body processes causing weight gain.
Some vitamin deficiencies can cause sleep deprivation. Studies have found that sleep deprivation can be a major trigger behind unwanted weight gain.
It can even affect the metabolic process slowing down fat burning while the body may focus on accumulating more fat.
On top of that, vitamin deficiencies can cause many gut issues like leaky gut syndrome and so on.
Constant fatigue can arise as a key problem. The biggest issue can be hormonal imbalance triggered by prolonged vitamin deficiency.
These factors can individually or collectively contribute to obesity. This is how the culprit vitamin deficiency causes weight gain, but at the same time, the contribution varies with specific nutrients.
What Vitamin Deficiency Cause Weight Gain?
Vitamin deficiency rolls out the situation of weight gain quite differently.
Most of the time, they trigger weight loss resistance while affecting the process playing a key role in weight management.
As a consequence, one may experience an increase in body weight without much difference in their eating pattern. The condition can vary with vitamin deficiency.
Here’s the list of key vitamin deficiencies causing weight gain.
#1. Vitamin A
Vitamin has a key role in maintaining a healthy gut to strengthen the immune system to fight off infection.
- It is available in two forms for the human body namely, retinol and beta-carotene.
Later one converts to Vitamin A in the body, whereas Retinol comes from dietary sources. Animal products like cheese, milk, cream, butter, liver, and oily fish are their major source.
Moreover, Beta carotene is available in dark green veggies like spinach, broccoli, and fruits like sweet potatoes and carrots.
Decreased level of retinol or beta-carotene affects the gut microbiome.
This results in many gut problems affecting digestion, nutritional absorption, and metabolic processes, while affecting many other bodies process. Again, this leads to high chances of weight gain, which is explained in an initial level animal study.
A mice study found that retinoid metabolism affects the development of fat cells. It even plays a vital role in how the body regulates glucose and fats.
#2. B Vitamins
B Vitamins are famous for their energy-boosting effects as well as their slimming properties.
This makes it a prominent ingredient in weight loss supplements and weight management products.
They metabolize carbs, fats, and proteins working great for managing overall weight. Meanwhile, they even contribute to assisting the central nervous system function.
Let’s categorize the role of some Vitamins individually.
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Vitamin B1
Vitamin B1 works for the conversion of carbs into glucose to elevate energy. Its sources are green leafy veggies, meats, and wheat.
The deficiency of B vitamins compromises the process. For instance, inadequate Vitamin B1 slows down glucose energy conversion resulting in fat accumulation.
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Vitamin B2
Moreover, vitamin B2 contributes to the creation of thyroid hormone, which indirectly manages body weight. B2 is present in milk, organ meats, eggs, and almonds.
Insufficient vitamins B2, B3, and B6 lead to inadequate thyroid hormone resulting in the affected metabolic processes causing weight gain.
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Vitamin B3 and B6
Just like Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, and B6 also play a significant role in the production of thyroid hormone.
Further, Vitamin B3 is present in fish, milk, mangoes, meat, and tomatoes, whereas chicken, cabbage, sardines, brown rice, and eggs are major sources of Vitamin B6.
As mentioned above deficiency of these Vitamins can cause weight gain, it even results in hormonal disturbance hindering multiple body processes again contributing to the same.
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Vitamin B12
Lastly, B12 helps in weight by managing metabolism. Its good source is animal products like beef, salmon, chicken, and oysters.
Meanwhile, B12 deficiency slows down metabolism causing less fat burning leading to slow weight gain.
Research admits that higher levels of Vitamin B12 were linked with lower body fat in Mexican American children. It indicated a lower risk of obesity in case of adequate nutrient present in the body.
The study showed that micronutrient is crucial to childhood obesity risk. Supplementing with a potent formula that comprises Vitamin B in adequate amounts can reverse the risk. For that, PhenGold can be the perfect companion.
Clearly, we’ve indicated the role of B Vitamins in overall bodily activities.
This eventually makes you presume a sufficient approach to accomplish the optimum nutritional levels. Luckily, PhenGold has all that you’ll need.
A top-notch formula that is intentionally formulated to tackle all the concerns related to weight gain.
Guess what, the formulation comprises an optimum amount of all the above-mentioned Vitamins to get unparalleled PhenGold results.
#3. Vitamin C
When it comes to Vitamin C, citrus fruits are the first to pop into the mind. Nonetheless, there are many other fruits and veggies highly rich in the nutrient.
It has a major role in strengthening and regulating our immune system.
There is a strong relationship between Vitamin C and blood fat levels.
The body requires Vitamin C to produce carnitine which transports energy to all the human cells. Thus, it is necessary for a functional metabolism.
Insufficient carnitine can occur as a problem due to insufficient Vitamin C resulting in slowed metabolic process. This can lead to problems like increased body fat in the body while reducing muscle mass and more.
In a study of sedentary adults, high Vitamin C level was linked to low body fat and waist circumference in female participants. The study even found vitamin C to be inversely related to adiposity markers but didn’t have any impact on adiponectin levels.
#4. Vitamin D
It can be highly helpful in maintaining a low-calorie diet as it limits appetite.
In other words, it becomes essential for weight loss, because without calorie deficient diet, it is impossible to lose weight.
The best natural source of Vitamin D is sun exposure. However, it is available in food sources as well, for instance, fatty fish like tuna, mackerel, and salmon are good options. In the supermarket, go for foods with Vitamin D.
Various studies show that weight gain led to vitamin D deficiency.Also, the insufficiency of the vitamin won’t regulate appetite resulting in over-calorie consumption, which again would contribute to weight gain. So, this is how vitamin deficiency causes weight gain.
A review stated by International Scholarly Research Notices that nutrient deficiency like vitamin D, biotin, etc., disrupt glucose metabolism and triggers insulin resistance, which can lead to weight gain.
#5. Vitamin E
Vitamin E works together with vitamin K to create RBC and enhance muscle function. Looking closer into the work of human cells, clearly lean muscle mass terminates more calories than fat cells.
On top of that, it even strengthens the metabolic process to again burn more calories.
The best natural sources of Vitamin E include wheat germ, Kiwifruit, broccoli, spinach, sunflower seeds, and safflower oil.
Of course, in the absence of sufficient Vitamin E, it is unable to work along with vitamin K to produce RBC accordingly. Most importantly, it doesn’t support muscle function to aid lean muscle.
Thus, the fat-burning process and metabolic activity suffer a huge decline. Again, this sudden slowdown due to vitamin deficiency causes weight gain.
The above-mentioned Vitamin deficiency is likely to affect other body functions. On a broad level, it can trigger cravings and exhaustion making it challenging to stay active while eating less.
Without sufficient physical activity and a calorie-deficit diet, the body won’t manage muscle and fat ratio appropriately.
With difficulties in staying active and maintaining a low-calorie diet, it is obvious to gain weight.
Vitamin deficiency can cause weight gain in multiple other ways expanded in the next segment.
How Does Vitamin and Nutrients Deficiency Cause Weight Gain?
Vitamin deficiencies don’t directly begin to store body fat and cause weight gain.
Instead, it disrupts multiple body processes doing well in the case of sufficient vitamins.
These disrupted body functions further affect the body’s ability to terminate body fat resulting in weight gain.
Here’s how vitamin deficiencies lead to weight gain
#1. Low-Quality Sleep
Poor quality sleep or inadequate quality sleep can hinder body weight in multiple ways.
Studies show that it affects hunger and fullness causing hormones while disrupting the ability to avoid cravings .On top of that, sleep deprivation slows down the metabolic process, which slows down fat elimination forcing the body to store more fat cells.
Vitamin deficiency can trouble falling sleeping, affect its quality, making wake up multiple times a night, hinder the sleep cycle, and eventually causes weight gain. Further, it activates the stress hormone which eventually leads to disturbed sleep.
That’s why it’s better to relieve stress before bedtime to get restful sleep.
As troubled sleep would roll out the discussed process which can disturb weight loss attempts and instead force the body to gain weight.
#2. Hormone Imbalance
One of the major reasons behind unwanted weight gain can be vitamin deficiency triggered hormonal balance.
When it comes to overall health, hormonal balance plays a vital role.
From signaling the brain of craving to fullness, it not only manages appetite but regulates fat incineration.
An imbalance of certain hormones can make the body hold on to more fat cells resulting in weight gain.
Hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, and insulin have a huge role in maintaining a healthy body weight.
Excessive or insufficient amounts of these hormones can develop weight loss resistance while forcing the body to stick to more body fat.
#3. Incompetent Metabolism
Usually, the understanding of metabolism is limited to its fat-burning ability happening slowly or fast. However, it processes and utilizes the body consumed.
A well-functioning metabolism ensures easy and efficient weight loss, whereas a dysfunctional metabolism would hold on more calories than burning to prevent weight loss.
On top of that, if basal metabolism, the calories required by the body on rest to function reduces, it lessens the calorie expenditure during physical activity and processing of food.
Thus, losing weight becomes a challenging prospect with a slowed metabolic process.
Different vitamin deficiency causes weight gain by affecting metabolism in the first place. Vitamins A, B, C, and E seem to do the same.
#4. Fatigue and Exhaustion
When it comes to weight loss, it is impossible without indulging in physical activity.
The more you labor out physically, the more calorie burns. In contrast, inactivity can force the body to burn fewer calories and it becomes tough to get slimmer.
This can occur due to excessive fatigue all the time. Eventually, you would begin to ditch your training sessions.
Vitamin deficiency can cause exhaustion lasting for the whole day making it impossible to complete a workout.
With less physical activity, metabolism would suffer to burn less fat and store more.
#5. Gut Problems
In case of insufficient nutrients, your gut suffers the most.
Poor eating patterns and diet can cause inflammation in the gut resulting in digestive issues like problems in absorbing nutrients, leaky gut syndrome, and more.
Eventually, toxins evade the protective lining in the gut to move around the body resulting in more systematic inflammation.
This would disrupt the signals sent to the brain for fullness, fat burning, and cravings. Also, it can affect the production of hormones like serotonin ensuring weight gain again.
Since poor gut health is a medical concern and seeks medical attention too.
Considering gut health-supporting pills along with vitamin supplements could be a better approach.In order to rely on pills that support gut health, Biotics 8 can be the one that grabs your attention. A safe and natural method that supports the gut and helps you to combat other digestive issues.
Consistent consumption of the formula significantly balances the gut environment. And, further optimizes good gut bacteria, it delivers better Biotics 8 results.
Vitamin deficiency consequently triggers such a process contributing to weight gain and making it emerge as a culprit.
However, fighting off vitamin deficiency-caused weight gain is possible. All required is to pay attention to a few things.
Tips to Fight off Vitamin Deficiency Triggered Weight Gain
Optimizing the vitamin level in the body may help fight off weight gain caused by its deficiency.
One of the ways can be to supplement that nutrient, but changing lifestyle can naturally help kick off the problem.
Here’s how to fight off vitamin deficiency-caused weight gain.
#1. Eat a Balanced Diet
The very first thing to do is improve your diet.
Include nutrient-dense foods like veggies, fruits, lean proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains in the diet.
It naturally provides a variety of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
#2. Prefer Vitamin-Rich Foods
Focus on having foods rich in vitamins, you are deficient in.
For instance, to fight off Vitamin C deficiency have more citrus fruits, for Vitamin K deficiency munch on leafy greens, and for Vitamin D go for dairy products and fortified meals.
#3. Avoid Processed Foods
Refined and processed foods load the body with calories but lack the necessary nutrients.
Thus, a diet rich in processed food leads to weight gain making it necessary to limit processed foods. Instead, it is best to focus on whole and unprocessed foods.
#4. Be Aware of Hidden Deficiencies
Some vitamin deficiencies are more common than others like Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D.
Detecting it as early as possible can help prevent its potential downsides.
So, go for regular check-ups to know possible deficiency and address it accordingly.
#5. Practice Portion Control
Overeating can cause weight gain irrespective of the nutrients in the meal.
It becomes crucial to eat mindfully by paying attention to portion sizes to maintain a healthy body weight.
#6. Consider Supplementation
If a balanced diet fails to meet specific nutritional requirements, it is best to go for vitamin supplements as well as some other natural ingredients that support weight loss.
Studies have found that Caffeine, Glucomannan as well as Innoslim for weight loss are the best approach.
However, these are natural sources but do consult with a healthcare professional to get these and ask for recommendations on dosage as per your condition.
#7. Regular Exercise
Regular physical activity helps in managing body weight as well as overall health.
It even improves circulation and the digestive process increasing the absorption of nutrients.
Aim to indulge in at least 20 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise daily along with strength training to terminate body fat and preserve lean muscle mass.
#8. Seek Professional Guidance
Sometimes dietary changes won’t succeed in fighting off vitamin deficiency-caused weight gain.
In such a situation, it is best to talk to a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian for customized diet, and supplementation, and plan to tackle the problem.
Keep in mind, approaching weight management and vitamin deficiency simultaneously can help resolve nutrient deficiency-caused weight gain.Also, long-term lifestyle alteration is more beneficial than short-term changes for both weight management and overall health.
The blog discussed everything on the topic taking us to the final wrap-up.
So, let’s get going, to sum up the discussion on vitamin deficiency and how it causes weight gain.
The Final Words
Not all the time, weight gain occurs due to a surplus diet but sometimes vitamin deficiency also causes weight gain.
It may be possible even with a low-calorie diet one fails to lose weight.
Not having a balanced diet can cause a lack of multiple nutrients triggering various adverse processes. This disruption from normal body functions causes weight gain.
Multiple vitamin deficiency affects hormones responsible for cravings, energy, and fat burning. It can even disrupt sleep quality, metabolism, gut health, and much more.
All these processes collectively or individually induce the body to hold on to more fat cells. Eventually, this results in unwanted weight gain.
However, addressing these vitamin deficiencies, at the same time, helps fight off the problem.
Follow the tips discussed above to resolve your problem.