ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Metabolism
Cholecalciferol vs calcifediol supplementation on visceral adiposity in people with obesity: a real-world retrospective study
Provisionally accepted
Martina Chiurazzi1
Mariana Di Lorenzo1Maria Serena Lonardo1Mariastella Di Lauro1Carmela Onda1
Concetta Sozio1
Daniela Pacella2
Nunzia Cacciapuoti1*
Bruna Guida1
Ciro Menale1- 1Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Naples, Italy
- 2Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Dipartimento di Sanita Pubblica, Naples, Italy
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Introduction: Nowadays it is well known that obesity and vitamin D deficiency are closely linked. In this view, this study aimed to assess the effects of two different Vitamin D formulations, combined with a Mediterranean hypocaloric diet (MHD) on 25(OH)D concentration, weight loss and visceral adiposity in subjects with obesity and vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency. Methods: Eighty-four patients with obesity were retrospectively selected and divided into three groups according to the type of treatment received: MHD alone (C group), MHD + cholecalciferol (D group), and MHD + calcifediol (N group). 25(OH)D concentration, anthropometric parameters, body composition and visceral adiposity indices (LAP, VAI, NVAI) were assessed at baseline and after 3 months. Results: All groups showed significant reductions in anthropometric parameters after 3 months. Notably, Group N achieved the greatest increase in serum 25(OH)D (+20 ng/ml), the highest weight loss (−7.8 Kg) and a significant improvement in LAP and NVAI. In addition, only N group showed an increased fat-free mass. Regression analysis confirmed a significant association between calcifediol treatment and LAP reduction, independent of BMI. Discussion: Calcifediol supplementation, combined with a MHD, is more effective than cholecalciferol in improving vitamin D status and reducing visceral adiposity in subjects with obesity. These findings support the recommended use of calcifediol supplementation in obesity-related vitamin D deficiency management.
Keywords: Vitamin D Deficiency, Cholecalciferol, Calcifediol, Obesity, Adiposity
Received: 30 Jul 2025; Accepted: 03 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Chiurazzi, Di Lorenzo, Lonardo, Di Lauro, Onda, Sozio, Pacella, Cacciapuoti, Guida and Menale. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Nunzia Cacciapuoti, nunzia.cacciapuoti@unina.it
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.