Foods4BetterHealth Reports on Risks of Vitamin D Deficiency and Mortality: Study
Boston, MA (PRWEB) January 27, 2014 -- Foods4BetterHealth.com, a food and nutrition web site that believes that healthy foods can prevent disease and illness, is reporting on a new study, which found that a vitamin D deficiency can increase the risk of mortality by heart disease.
As Foods4BetterHealth notes (http://www.foods4betterhealth.com/why-not-getting-enough-of-this-vitamin-can-lead-to-heart-problems-7148), the study, published in The Journal of Cancer Endocrinology and Metabolism, followed 9,949 adults for an average of nine years, measuring their vitamin D levels at the start, middle, and conclusion of the study. At follow-up, the researchers calculated the number of mortalities and wanted to know if vitamin D deficiency played a role. According to the study, 60% of the participants had a vitamin D deficiency, and those who had the lowest levels of vitamin D had a 27% increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, as well as a 62% increased risk of dying from a cardiovascular event compared to the participants who did not have a vitamin D deficiency. (Source: Perna, L., et al., “Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Incidence of Fatal and Nonfatal Cardiovascular Events: A Prospective Study With Repeated Measurements,” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, December 5, 2013; 98(12); http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24106288.)
As the Foods4BetterHealth article “Why Not Getting Enough of This Vitamin Can Lead to Heart Problems” explains, vitamin D is an essential nutrient for many bodily functions, such as calcium metabolism, bone formation, blood clotting, inflammation reduction, and regulation of the immune system. Many people have a vitamin D deficiency since the vitamin is not readily available in typical diets; that’s also the reason why many food producers have started fortifying food with vitamin D. (Source: “Vitamin-D Deficiency Linked to Fatal CVD,” Dr. Rabin Shrestha's "Health and Healthy lifestyle" blog, December 27, 2013; http://rabin-reverseheartdisease.blogspot.ca/2013/12/vitamin-d-deficiency-linked-to-fatal-cvd.html.)
The report observes that vitamin D should be an important part of a healthy diet and can be found in high amounts in oily fish, cod liver oil, and the fortified foods mentioned above. It is also possible to get vitamin D from the most natural source: the sun. Those living in a climate that does not get enough sun exposure, especially during the winter, may want to consider a vitamin D supplement.
The Foods4BetterHealth report concludes that older adults, as well as those with bowel problems or who are taking drugs, may have a problem absorbing vitamin D. Therefore, they should contact their health care provider to ensure they are receiving enough of this important vitamin, taking supplements if necessary.
Foods4BetterHealth.com, created by Doctors Health Press, is a food news and health web site that offers readers information about the latest food controversies, exclusive expert advice, and health tips to ward off illness, prevent disease, and live a long, healthy life. For more information, visit http://www.foods4betterhealth.com.
Adrian Newman, Foods4BetterHealth, http://www.foods4betterhealth.com/, +1 905-266-0350, [email protected]
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