The lazy days of summer have come and gone once again, and old man winter is just around the corner. The winter will bring colder weather and less sunlight. In a society where a lot of people seldom travel outdoors, vitamin D deficiency is an important concern, mainly during the winter months when sunlight is inadequate. According to research reported at the American Heart Association’s 63rd High Blood Pressure Research Conference, vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of high blood pressure later in life.
Women who had a vitamin D deficiency in 1993 were 3 times more likely to suffer from hypertension 15 years later in 2007, researchers have found. The researchers controlled for age, fat mass, anti-hypertensive medication use, and smoking.
“This study differs from others because we are looking over the course of 15 years, a longer follow-up than many studies,” co-author Flojaune Griffin related to Science Daily. “Our results indicate that early vitamin D deficiency may increase the long-term risk of high blood pressure in women at mid-life. Our study highlights the importance of vitamin D in the risk of high blood pressure later in life, a major health problem in the United States.”
Vitamin D deficiency may also increase the risk of certain cancers and inflammatory diseases. Hypertension and chronic inflammation many times go hand-in-hand. As plaque builds up on arterial walls (which raises blood pressure), the immune system starts to attack the plaque as if its a foreign invader. This causes an inflammatory response.
The leading source of vitamin D is sunlight. Your body synthesizes vitamin D when ultraviolet B rays hit the skin. You cannot get too much vitamin D from sunlight, and sunlight provides the best form of vitamin D.
Dietary vitamin D, found in supplements and fortified foods, provides a slightly less efficient form of vitamin D and it is possible to consume too much dietary vitamin D. Some researchers suggest that the current recommendation of 400 to 600 IU is too low, and they suggest 1,000 to 5,000 IU. However, daily consumption of over 2,000 IU of vitamin D may cause side effects such as nausea, constipation, and poor appetite. Talk to your doctor before you start taking any supplements.
If feasible, get 15 to 30 minutes of healthy sunlight exposure each day. Enjoy your time in the sun. Use it as your time to relax. Exposure as much of your body to the sun as you can; more exposed skin means more vitamin D. During the winter, contemplate supplementing vitamin D, but don’t take too much. If you believe that you might have a vitamin D deficiency if you suffer from high blood pressure and chronic fatigue, for instance your doctor can check your vitamin D levels with a simple blood test.
Alternative methods to reduce blood pressure naturally take into account a healthy low-fat diet and regular exercise. See high blood pressure exercises to learn more about three simple exercises that are guaranteed to lower your blood pressure.
And don’t forget vitamin D deficiency appears to raises the risk of high blood pressure later in life, so don’t let your children stay indoors and play video games or watch TV all day. Have them go outdoors and play.
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