Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin, however a deficiency of this vitamin is thought to be more common than previously known. Low blood levels of vitamin D are linked to chronic illness called cardiometabolic disease. This association may occur because this nutrient plays a key role in maintaining the health of arteries and other blood vessels, though the Mayo Clinic notes that this is not yet determined. Hence, increasing or balancing levels of vitamin D may help to reduce the risk of cardiometabolic diseases, which include heart attacks and strokes. The recommended levels of vitamin D intake also vary somewhat and studies are not yet conclusive.
Cardiometabolic Disease
Cardiometabolic disease includes heart disease, vascular disease and diabetes. These chronic illnesses can affect individuals that are normal weight, have excess weight or are obese and of all ethnicities. Factors that affect cardiometabolic diseases include high blood pressure, blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, fasting blood glucose levels and insulin resistance. Vitamin D may provide protection against these risk factors by helping to maintain the elasticity and health of the blood vessel walls helping to prevent clots, plaques and stiffness from hindering blood flow. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, vitamin D may also help maintain blood pressure to protect the arteries from damage.
Vitamin D and Heart Health
The cardiac muscle of the heart also has receptors for vitamin D. Therefore, a deficiency of this vitamin can also lead to a weakened or unhealthy heart. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, men who had low levels of vitamin D were twice as likely to have a heart attack than men with adequate levels and also had a higher risk of cardiac death, stroke and general cardiovascular disease.
Risk Factors for Vitamin D Deficiency
The body is able to produce its own source of vitamin D from cholesterol by a process that is triggered when the skin is exposed to sunlight. Hence, individuals in areas that do not get adequate levels of sun for many months of the year are at increased risk of a deficiency of this vitamin. Other risk factors include having a darker skin tone, being overweight or obese, increased age and covering up in the sun or spending a lot of time indoors. Individuals who have metabolic abnormalities and cannot produce or absorb vitamin D are also at risk, as are people in areas that do not vitamin D fortified foods.
Recommended Daily Requirements of Vitamin D
Foods that are good sources of vitamin D include fortified dairy products and breakfast cereals and fatty fish such as tuna and salmon. However, supplements are usually needed to boost vitamin D levels in individuals who have a deficiency. The Harvard School of Public Health reports that the recommended daily dose of this vitamin is 600 IU from the age of 1 to 70, and 800 IU for individuals over the age of 70.
People who do not get adequate sun exposure are advised to take a separate vitamin D supplement in addition to a balanced vitamin-rich diet. However, a study published in the journal "Annals of Internal Medicine" in 2010 notes that research on the levels of vitamin D that can significantly affect cardiometabolic health is not yet conclusive.
References
- Harvard School of Public Health: Vitamin D and Health
- Annals of Internal Medicine; Systematic Review: Vitamin D and Cardiometabolic Outcomes; Anastassios G. et al
- John Hopkins Medicine; Levels of vitamin D and cardiometabolic disorders: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis; Parker J. et al
- American Diabetes Association; Adiposity, Cardiometabolic Risk, and Vitamin D Status: The Framingham Heart Study; Cheng S. et al
- Total Health Breakthroughs: Cardiometabolic Disease - A Risk at Any Weight
- Mayo Clinic; Can Vitamins Help Prevent a Heart Attack?; Martha Grogan MD
Member Comments