Living Life

When you think of heart health, vitamin D isn’t a supplement that first comes to mind. Vitamin D plays a role in bone health, helping calcium to be absorbed, regulating blood levels of calcium and helping bones stay strong by depositing minerals like calcium. Recent studies, however, suggest that heart health and vitamin D may have some small association to each other. The following are some of the results:

1. Those who take in very little vitamin D may have more heart problems.

2. Many people with congestive heart failure have levels of vitamin D that are too low.

3. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to peripheral artery disease.

4. People with low levels of vitamin D were more likely to experience trouble with their cardiovascular systems. This association was independent of high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure.

5. Women who ate more dairy products containing vitamin D had lower risks of developing high blood pressure.

While none of the studies prove that low levels of vitamin D will lead to heart disease, how can low vitamin D be harmful to your heart? There are a few theories. One theory has to do with blood pressure. Vitamin D is converted to an active hormone in the body which is involved in the regulation of blood pressure. Blood vessels have vitamin D receptors so there may be some direct interaction of vitamin D with the cardiovascular system as well. Lastly, vitamin D may be involved in inflammation, which is thought to play a role in the development of cardiovascular disease. No doubt about it, lowering LDL cholesterol in any capacity will be beneficial in the long run. Remember, reduce bad cholesterol, lower trans fats, — eat healthy!

Because of the state of the science, scientists aren’t 100% sure whether the heart is helped by vitamin D. As such, vitamin D supplementation is not recommended to prevent heart disease. But it’s important to realize that many people have sub-optimal levels of vitamin D in their body.

How to Get Adequate Vitamin D

Unlike some other vitamins, vitamin D is not found in lots of different foods. Certain fish like salmon, mackerel and tuna, contain vitamin D. Eggs (egg yolk) and liver also contain vitamin D.

Other food sources of vitamin D are generally fortified with the nutrient. These include milk and products made with fortified milk such as cheese and yogurt. Typically, cereal and even some bottled juices have added vitamin D. One way to achieve healthy levels of vitamin D in your body is to consume one or two servings of vitamin D fortified low fat milk or a fortified low fat milk product each day. Fortified orange juice and cereals will also help.

To maintain healthy vitamin D levels many people have to look further than just the foods they eat. You can make up for the inadequate food vitamin D by exposing your skin to sunlight. Ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure is enough for vitamin D synthesis to begin. Because of the dangers of too much sun exposure, you can allow sun exposure for the first 10 to 15 minutes, and then apply sunscreen to protect your skin from burning and sun damage.

One problem is that people who live in areas with little sun or northern climates may not be able to get enough sun exposure during certain times of the year to allow for vitamin D synthesis in the skin. If you live in a climate with little sun and your diet doesn’t include food sources of vitamin D, you may want to consider a vitamin D supplement. But remember, heart healthy diets are as vital and beneficial to maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system!