Recent research published in the Journal of Women’s Health shows a correlation between insufficient vitamin D levels and increased weight gain in older women.

The study, conducted by the nonprofit Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, examined more than 4,600 women ages 65 and older. In women who gained weight over the course of the study, those who had insufficient vitamin D levels gained about two pounds more than those with adequate levels.

Another eye-opening finding was that 78 percent of women in the study had insufficient levels. Insufficiency was defined as less than 30 ng/ml, the level determined by The Endocrine Society.

“This is one of the first studies to show that women with low levels of Vitamin D gain more weight, and although it was only two pounds, over time that can add up,” said study author Erin LeBlanc, MD. “Nearly 80 percent of women in our study had insufficient levels of Vitamin D. A primary source of this important vitamin is sunlight, and as modern societies move indoors, continuous vitamin D insufficiency may be contributing to chronic weight gain.”

Women in the study that had insufficient vitamin D levels also tended to have a higher starting weight than those with sufficient levels (148.6 pounds, versus 141.6 pounds).

Click here to read a press release about the study from Kaiser Permanente.