Low Vitamin D Doubles the Risk for Cardiovascular Mortality

During the heart health month of February it is vital not to forget your vitamin D.  A new study reviews the importance of vitamin D to cardiovascular health¹, reminding us that lacking vitamin D sets the stage for more than double the risk of a life-ending cardiovascular event.  Vitamin D improves blood flow, helps reduce triglycerides, and helps reduce the pro-inflammatory signal TNFa Cytokine involved with systemic inflammation and regulation of immune cells. It is able to induce cell death, and inhibits tumorigenesis and viral replication. When dysfunctional it is associated with a number of disease processes. – all of which are very important to cardiovascular health.

It is no secret that there are far more cardiovascular deaths as the winter moves along compared to any other time of the year.  It is reasonable to conclude that one key factor is the progressive depletion of vitamin D during the winter.  This problem has been made far worse by the American Cancer Society who has done their best to turn everyone in America into sun-exposure paranoids.

Regardless, every adult needs at least 2000 IU of vitamin D per day in the winter and many need more than that.  Taking care to not run short of this simple nutrient can save your life.