Vitamin D May Protect The Heart
A total of 1,514 men and 1,528 women in the Athens area took part in the study, and the participants whose diets contained the most foods rich in vitamin D had the fewest heart attacks and strokes. The researchers reported that 12 percent of men with the highest intake of vitamin D had heart attacks or strokes compared to 24 percent of the men whose intake of vitamin D was lowest. Among women, cardiovascular events occurred among 14 percent of those with the lowest intakes of vitamin D compared to 11 percent of women with the highest intakes. The investigators noted that, in contrast to the findings of earlier studies of the effects of vitamin D supplements on heart health, this new one revealed that increased intake of vitamin D from food sources may better protect against heart-related problems, especially among men.
Source:
M. Kouvari et al, “Dietary vitamin D intake, cardiovascular disease and cardiometabolic risk factors: a sex‐based analysis from the ATTICA cohort study,” Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, April 7, 2020, doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12748
More from Dr. Weil’s Weekly Bulletin:
- Green Tea & Food Allergies
- Thighs & Blood Pressure: An Observation
- An easy and delicious recipe for this week: Green Squash Soup
Sign up for Dr. Weil’s Newsletters
