Vitamin D is the new vitamin E. Everyone is talking about it and how much it means to your overall health. Is it the latest fad or the real thing?
A research project that gave 1,200 healthy postmenopausal women either a placebo or calcium (1,500 mg) plus vitamin D (1,000 IU daily) found that the women who were given both vitamin D and calcium were 77 percent less likely to be diagnosed with cancer, especially breast cancer, over the next four years.
A larger trial, the Woman's Health Initiative, tested vitamin D (400 IU) and calcium or a placebo on 36,000 healthy women for an average of seven years. Vitamin D takers had no lower risk of breast cancer than the placebo takers. Many physicians say the dosage of Vitamin D in the research was not high enough and recommended more research on dosages of at least 1000 I.U.
Evidence about the benefits of vitamin D in humans is limited and mixed. One study in 2006 and a study early in 2009 in the Midwest, for example, showed a higher rate of pancreatic cancer among those with high blood levels of vitamin D.
On the other hand, animal and lab studies report that vitamin D does protect the heart. It seems to suppress inflammation which plays a major role in cardiovascular disease. Subjects from the Framingham Heart Study who had low vitamin D blood levels had a 60 percent higher risk of heart disease than those with higher levels. In still another study there was a suggestion that vitamin D may keep blood pressure from rising.
The conclusion from the scientists is that the studies show an association between low vitamin D levels and a higher risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular disease but they do not prove that one causes the other.
So what does all this information mean to you? No definitive answer yet but talk to your doctor anyway about vitamin D and see what your physician says about taking 1000 to 2000 IU daily. This is especially important if you're in those northern states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota where it is summer for only a few months in the year and then when it is sunny, the sun is not very strong. Instead of 20 minutes outdoors to get your dose of vitamin D you may have to spend 40 minutes.
I have deced to stick my nose out and am taking in at least 200 I.U. daily.
What do you think your decision will be. Share your thoughts in the comment box.
To your healthy aging.
Ruthan
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