Vitamin D has been linked to a growing list of health benefits beyond bone strengthening, but many people, particularly seniors, have vitamin D deficiency. Because few foods are rich in the vitamin, taking a supplement is recommended.
Research regarding a link between calcium supplements and increased risk of a heart attack is contradictory, but getting most of the body’s daily calcium requirement from food is preferable.
Research has found a potential connection between low levels of vitamin D and increased risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and other cardiovascular conditions.
The VITAL study hopes to determine whether taking vitamin D and omega-3 fats have an effect on rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other illnesses, and whether high dosages of these supplements are safe.
Certain nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D or potassium and sodium, work better in pairs, which is useful information when making nutritional choices.
The argument for taking a daily multivitamin is not as strong as it used to be. Research continues to accumulate showing that vitamins do not provide the benefits they were once believed to, and sometimes can be harmful.
Ultraviolet light causes skin cancer, but it also triggers the body’s production of vitamin D, which seems to counteract it. Limited sun exposure can boost levels of vitamin D, or it can be obtained through a vitamin supplement.
My doctor gave me a prescription for 50,000 units of vitamin D to be taken every two weeks. But I’ve read that the recommended dose is more like 1,000 IU a day, and that more than 2,000 IU a day is unsafe. I don’t want to do more harm than good!
A five-year study hopes to determine whether vitamin D and omega-3 fats have an effect on rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other illnesses.