Your body needs vitamins to function efficiently and healthily. Learn about the connection between vitamin D and your heart.
According to studies, vitamin D plays a key role when it comes to taking care of your overall health. However, while they can help develop stronger bones, recent research suggests that these supplements don’t necessarily promote heart health. Dr. Erin Michos, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, explains the initial connection:
“Initially there was a lot of enthusiasm for vitamin D treatment for cardiovascular disease, and this was based on observational data. The link was that individuals who have low blood levels of vitamin D have increased risk of a lot of bad things, including increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, heart failure and even increased risk of death. It was a really strong association.”
Vitamin D Research
While associations may indicate a connection, they don’t always mean there is causation. For instance, an analysis in JAMA Cardiology shows that vitamin D supplements don’t reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. Dr. JoAnn Manson was the lead author of the 2018 VITAL study, which examined vitamin D supplements and their effect on heart health.
“The key question is, do you need more vitamin D than what is required for bone health in order to have optimal heart health?” asks Manson, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “And the answer, based on available research, seems to be no.”
Moreover, Manson states that even study participants who had lower levels of vitamin D at the start didn’t reduce their risk of heart attack or stroke after supplementation. “There is some promising research that vitamin D may reduce the risk of heart failure, and that requires additional research,” says Manson. “However, the evidence to date is that moderate to high vitamin D supplementation does not appear to reduce the risk of heart attacks or strokes.”
Furthermore, Manson points out how taking megadoses can actually have adverse effects. “There has been some concern that very high doses of supplementation could increase the risk of blood vessel calcification and could actually have adverse effects,” says Manson. “So, an important principle is that more is not necessarily better, and in fact, mega-dosing on vitamin D can have some harmful effects.”
The Outlook
While using supplements can help bolster certain aspects of your health, it’s important that you use the right ones for your needs. It is also important that you get sufficient amounts of each vitamin without going overboard or you may experience side effects.
For this reason, it’s important that you follow the supplement’s dosage recommendations and not take more than necessary. For example, by taking just one serving of L-arginine Plus, you can effectively promote your circulation and overall heart health. Give your health the support it deserves by leading a healthy lifestyle and taking L-arginine Plus.