Nutritionists have slammed the growing cohort of social media influencers who blame low vitamin D intake for people’s “belly bags”.
In recent months, a strange new trend has taken over TikTok in which influencers claim that low levels of vitamin D, which is derived from sunlight among other things, increases cortisol in the body, which then increases weight gain specifically in the stomach.
Content creators often sell vitamin D supplements, promoting them as a way to reduce cortisol in the body, which they claim will eliminate the “belly bag in your midsection.”
However, nutritionists have warned that this “worrying” trend is one of promoting “miracle” weight loss products and are urging buyers not to believe them.
Content creators promoting vitamin D supplements also say that a lack of the vitamin can affect sleep quality and cause the face to swell, a phenomenon called “cortisol face.”
But nutritionists warn that TikTok users are “oversimplifying” the relationship between cortisol, weight gain and vitamin D, and that taking Extremely high doses of the supplement could have toxic effects on the body.
Social media influencers are blaming low vitamin D levels for having a “pot belly,” which they say triggers high cortisol levels.
She begins the video by saying, “You’re not fat, you’re just bloated and your cortisol levels are probably pretty high. Which is not only making you bloated, but it’s also giving you a puffy face.”
One clip, posted by a creator under the username @wellhealthtylife, has racked up more than 700,000 views and attracted dozens of comments from women concerned about their “bloat.”
She begins the video by saying, “You’re not fat, you’re just bloated and your cortisol levels are probably pretty high. Which not only makes you bloated, but it also gives you a puffy face.”
She lists a number of symptoms including acne, constant fatigue and interrupted sleep, before attributing each of these symptoms to high cortisol levels.
She told viewers: ‘If this is you right now and you feel like I’m calling you out, this is how you’re going to lower your cortisol levels.
‘Take vitamin D3 and K2 together, which will help them be absorbed better.’
She then recommended the brand Nutrition Geek with its vitamin D products, assuring viewers that this would help them sleep, have energy, and “reduce puffiness around the midsection and face.”
Cortisol is sometimes referred to as the stress hormone, but it plays a much more complex role in the body.
It helps control how your body uses energy, regulates blood pressure, and tells you when to be alert and when to sleep. It can also cause inflammation, hence the term “cortisol face.”
Vitamin D and cortisol have been linked in scientific studies, although this does not mean that being “fat” is always the cause of a vitamin deficiency.
While there is a link between vitamin D and cortisol levels, not all claims made online are accurate, experts say.
Nutritional therapist and Wiley’s Finest sustainable supplements consultant Alexa Mullane described the online trend as “worrying” as it gives a false idea that weight loss is possible through supplements.
While Alexa agreed that there is a link between high cortisol and weight gain, she cautioned that focusing on just one aspect of what causes a spike in the hormone won’t yield results.
Another video follows a similar marketing script, attributing the same symptoms to “high cortisol” caused by low vitamin D levels.
Another online nutrient seller said: ‘Did you know that if you are gaining weight, especially around the midsection, you are always tired and can’t sleep at night?
‘Maybe you have a hump on your neck or you’re just getting emotional about everything lately.
‘If you experience many of these symptoms, you likely have high cortisol levels, which may be related to vitamin D deficiencies.
Alexa said: ‘The recent trend claiming that vitamin D supplements can miraculously reduce fat is worrying because they only focus on one element of something that has multiple factors.’
Taking too high a dose may increase the risk of vitamin C toxicity, which leads to high levels of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia) and causes symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and kidney problems.
Another TikTok recommends vitamin D to solve a host of problems. Nutritionist Alexa Mullane called the trend “worrying.”
Another TikTok user is trying to sell vitamin D supplements to online users. While there is a link between vitamin D and cortisol levels, not all claims made online are accurate, according to experts.
Without knowing the reason for people’s weight gain, you could be giving false hope or leading people to take too much vitamin D.
Vitamin D and cortisol have been linked in scientific studies, although this does not mean that being “fat” is always the cause of a vitamin deficiency.
Alexa noted that high cortisol levels still need to be controlled by a doctor by treating the root of the problem.
“It’s important to look at why cortisol is elevated and treat the root cause, such as reducing stress levels, introducing coping mechanisms, improving stress resilience, or getting specific help if elevated cortisol has caused Cushing’s syndrome,” she said.
Not to mention that having high cortisol levels is one of several factors that could cause weight gain, such as genetic and lifestyle factors.
She said: ‘There are also many more factors that influence weight gain (such as insulin resistance, other hormonal imbalances, poor diet, lack of exercise, etc.) that could be overlooked.
‘It’s important to address your overall diet, lifestyle and all the factors that contribute to weight gain rather than focusing on one small factor because you’ve seen someone on TikTok say it works.’
Similarly, high cortisol should be treated as a stand-alone problem and not something that can be solved with a vitamin D pill.
“It’s important to control chronically high cortisol because of the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure) and this can lead to heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, heart failure, kidney problems and more,” she noted.
The effects of vitamin D on cortisol can vary from person to person, depending on factors such as their baseline vitamin D level, diet, and overall health, so something that has worked for some may not necessarily work for others.
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