Vitamin D is known as the "sunshine" vitamin because your body makes the vitamin when your skin is exposed to the sun. The vitamin also is present in limited food choices like fortified cereal, eggs, fortified orange juice and fish like salmon, mackerel or tuna. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked with an increased risk for heart disease, making its consumption important for your heart health.
Intermountain Research Studies
Two studies presented at the March 2010 meeting of the American College of Cardiology revealed a link between vitamin D and cardiac health. Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Murray, Utah, conducted both studies. The first measured more than 9,400 patients for a period of a year. The patients were initially determined to be deficient in vitamin D. After increasing their vitamin D intake, an estimated 47 percent of the patients whose vitamin D levels had gone up showed a reduction in their risk for cardiovascular disease. The second study involved placing more than 34,000 patients in three categories based on their vitamin D levels. Those with the highest levels of vitamin D had lower risks for heart disease than those who had lower levels.
Theories
While a link between vitamin D and heart health has been established, the exact mechanism by which vitamin D affects heart health remains unknown. Vitamin D plays a role in regulating your blood pressure levels, reducing inflammation and controlling your blood glucose levels, all of which play a part in maintaining your heart health. "What's been discovered in the last few years is a significantly greater role for vitamin D," Dr. Joseph Muhlestein, a researcher at the Intermountain Medical Center who conducted the aforementioned research studies, said in an interview with "The New York Times." "There are perhaps 200 different metabolic processes that use vitamin D as a cofactor."
Recommended Intake
The recommended daily intake for vitamin D varies based on age and the organization making the recommendation. While you may take in some degree of vitamin D via your sun exposure, the daily recommendation does not take this into account since sun exposure can vary. The Institute of Medicine recommends those between the ages of 1 and 70 take or consume 600 IU of vitamin D per day, while those older than age 71 should take or consume 800 IU daily.
Deficiency
If you suspect you may be vitamin D-deficient, your physician can perform a blood test to determine your overall levels. If your blood levels are below 20 ng/dL, you are considered vitamin D-deficient. If your levels are 30 ng/dL or above, you are considered to have normal vitamin D levels.
References
- Lisa Nelson RD; Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms - How Does Low Vitamin D Affect Your Heart?; Lisa Nelson, R.D.; October 2009
- MedlinePlus: Vitamin D
- ABC News; Vitamin D and Your Heart; February 2008
- ScienceDaily; Treating Vitamin D Deficiency Significantly Reduces Heart Disease Risk, Studies Find; March 2010
- "The New York Times"; Vitamin D Shows Heart Benefits in Study; Roni Caryn Rabin; November 2009
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