Sunday, March 18, 2012

Vitamin D: cardiovascular benefits confirmed

For several years the vitamin D made a lot of attention. And many powerful associations between vitamin D levels in the blood and the frequency of serious illnesses (like cancer) were found. Numerous researchers have pushed for a vitamin D or sun exposure (the major source of vitamin D) to fill gaps. These are very common (around 90% of the population deficit in winter according to studies conducted in France).
On the other hand, critics of vitamins and supporters of the status quo (as Inca - National Institute against cancer - which states that the benefits of vitamin D are sufficiently proven) repeatedly say that we lack 'large-scale studies in which we compare the effect of extra vitamin D compared with placebo. All this is unfortunate because there are several well-conducted studies have clearly shown that the causal link as I explained. Still, the intervention studies on vitamin D multiply but publications are slow because it takes years to properly conduct a study and the results are published and most of their methodology is not always adequate (as on any subject). How long will it take to simply understand that a vitamin deficiency, whatsoever is not good for the body (by definition, vitamins are substances essential to life)
This time, thus presenting an intervention study: 77 overweight or obese women aged around 38 years received either placebo or 1000 IU of vitamin D3 per day (a modest dose) for 3 months. The researchers measured all their cardiovascular markers before and after 3 months. Verdict? The group that received vitamin D had its increase HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, its decline, its rate of increase apolipoprotein A1 and the average weight decreased 2.7 kg against 0.4 kg in the placebo group. All these markers indicate a benefit for cardiovascular health.

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