Vitamin D may benefit heart health, study finds

Consuming foods high in vitamin D may have heart-protective effects, according to new research published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.

For the study, researchers looked at data conducting during 2001-2012 including 1,514 men and 1,528 women from greater Athens, Greece. Dietary assessment was based on a validated semi‐quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Daily intake of vitamin D was calculated using a standardized food database.

In the lowest, middle, and highest categories of vitamin D intake, cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes, occurred in 24 percent, 17 percent, and 12 percent of men, respectively, and 14 percent, 10 percent, and 11 percent of women, respectively.

In contrast with vitamin D supplementation trials that have shown modest to neutral beneficial effects on heart health, this study revealed that increased vitamin D intake from food sources may protect against heart-related problems, especially in men.