The vitamin that may reduce your chances of developing heart disease and diabetes by 43%.
If you are considered “middle aged” or older, you might want to listen up. According to researchers at the University of Warwick Medical School, high levels of vitamin D could reduce your chances of developing heart disease by 33% and diabetes by 55%, compared to people with low levels of D.
Through a review of 28 studies including almost 100,000 men and women, an association between high levels of vitamin D and a substantial decrease in cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome was revealed.
Vitamin D is the vitamin of the decade. It seems to be popping into the news and research on an almost daily basis. The tricky thing about this fat-soluble vitamin is that it is found naturally in only a few foods – oysters, most types of fish( but particularly fatty fish like mackerel and salmon), and egg yolks from chickens fed vitamin D. And vitamin D is synthesized by your body when skin is exposed to UV rays from sunlight.
More and more foods and products are being fortified with vitamin D: milk, yogurt, margarine and cereals. When you have a choice between a food or product with vitamin D added and one without, think about the results of this research analysis. See below for some examples of vitamin D fortified foods and the adequate daily dietary intake for vitamin D.
| Qty. | Vit. D | |
| Cereals: | ||
| Wheat Chex | 1 cup | 40 IU |
| Total Raisin Bran | 1 cup | 40 IU |
| Total with Strawberries | 1 cup | 40 IU |
| Smart Start Antioxidants | 1 cup | 40 IU |
| Yogurt: | ||
| Dannon Light & Fit | 6 oz | 80 IU |
| Yoplait Original | 6 oz | 80 IU |
| Yoplait Light | 6 oz | 80 IU |
| Margarine: | ||
| Canola Harvest | 1 Tbsp | 60 IU |
| Smart Balance 67% Buttery Spread | 1 Tbsp | 60 IU |
| Promise Buttery Spread | 1 Tbsp | 60 IU |
| Fleischmann’s Original | 1 Tbsp | 60 IU |
| Soy Products: | ||
| Soy cheese, assorted flavors | 1 slice | 80 IU |
| Gimme Lean! Ground Beef Style | 2 oz | 40 IU |
| Meatless Chick’n Nuggets | 4 pc | 80 IU |
| Tofu, extra firm or firm | 2.8 oz | 60 IU |
| Meatless burgers | 1 patty | 60 IU |
The adequate daily dietary intake for vitamin D for adults is:
- 200 IU for ages 19-50
- 400 IU for ages 51-70
- 600 IU for ages 71+
[Levels of vitamin D and cardiometabolic disorders: Systematic review and meta-analysis. ?Parker J, Hashmi O, Dutton D, Mavrodaris A, Stranges S, Kandala NB, Clarke A, Franco OH. ?Maturitas. PMID: 20031348]
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Vitamin D Strikes Again!
