The stress hormone cortisol is made from cholesterol. Therefore, a body experiencing any type of stress will, preferentially, use cholesterol to manufacture cortisol. Vitamin D is actually a hormone, not a vitamin, and it too, must be produced by cholesterol. When we are under stress, our cholesterol is used to produce cortisol, depleting the amount needed to produce vitamin D.

This is important to note because it gives us a glimpse into how stress, cortisol, inflammation, and lowered vitamin D levels can lead to obesity and obesity-linked metabolic diseases. You see, obesity is more than just “eating too much”. It is actually an immune response to fat cells that is fed by inflammation and lowered vitamin D levels.

When our bodies are stressed and produce cortisol, our bodies start to pack fat around our organs to protect them from the onslaught of stress chemicals. Our immune system then has the fat cells release macrophages into the adipose tissues to create defenses against cellular debris and pathogens in this dense area. This immune reaction stimulates inflammation to set in so that the macrophages will have the energy and conditions that it needs to attack.

When macrophages are set into action, lymphocytes and other immune cells also respond to the inflammation, which creates even more inflammation, which in turn attracts more lymphocytes, and so on. This chain reaction of inflammation-causing immune responses is what makes obesity so dangerous. To make the situation more confusing, young fat cells can release extra macrophages and immune cells can be transformed into fat cells and some fat cells into immune cells.

All of these cells are intimately connected and they all create and react to hormones in our bodies. Fat is actually thought of as part of the immune system. When too much fat is present, the immune system goes to work trying to protect and manage itself. By doing so, it produces a vast amount of inflammatory chemicals which interfere with the use of insulin. The inflammation spreads through your body, causing muscle to deteriorate. It also causes your body to become resistant to the hormones that normally regulate weight, mood, appetite, digestion, and more.

Vitamin D has been found to prevent severe inflammatory reactions that lead to destruction all over the body. It is this same inflammation that is associated with metabolic disease, which shows us that there is a clear link between metabolism and the immune system. This is why illnesses like influenza are seen more prevalent in the winter months. It’s not that the flu isn’t around all year, it’s that people aren’t out in the sun during the winter months and aren’t producing enough vitamin D to have a healthy immune system.

Vitamin D increases production of antimicrobial peptides and prevents the immune system from releasing too many inflammatory cells. When enough vitamin D is produced, our immune system works more efficiently and correctly. It activates T-cells to fight off infections, invaders, viruses, and pathogens. These cells cannot do their jobs if not activated by vitamin D, and so the immune system will use macrophages and other types of less effective immune cells instead. This overproduction of ineffective immune cells contributes to the constant state of inflammation that obese people experience.

Vitamin D levels can be easily checked by your doctor. In general, people need more and more vitamin D as they get closer to obese. Once the threshold is crossed over and vitamin D is no longer produced, inflammation and obesity can be very hard to combat.

About the Author: Phil Le Breton is owner at Wholesale Nutrition. He has a strong interest in helping people achieve greater brain and body health with vitamins and supplements, with an emphasis on vitamin C powder. Wholesale Nutrition has provided the world with the best vitamin C and wholesale vitamins since 1970. Visit http://www.nutri.com to buy high-quality discount vitamins today!

Sources:

http://www.life-with-confidence.com/benefit-of-vitamin-d.html

http://www.nature.com/nri/focus/metabolism/index.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7379094/Vitamin-D-triggers-and-arms-the-immune-system.html

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/51913.php

Reprinting:

This entire article may be reprinted free of charge provided that the “About the Author” section of the article, sources, and all links in the article are included. For shorter quotations, a clear link to the blog post or Wholesale Nutrition is sufficient.