Vitamin D Good For The Heart

http://www.chipsnetwork.com/newsstoryf.asp?article=6237nnVitamin D has been in the news a lot lately – studies promoting the positive effects of the “sunshine vitamin” on the immune system, cancer, bone strength, depression. This study, published in the journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, calls vitami
D a heart tranquilizer.

In the study, cells from the cells treated with activated vitami
D did not grow bigger in the heart muscle. The treatments prevented hypertrophy in rats and prevented heart muscles from overstimulation and the increased contractions that are commonly associated with the progression of heart failure.

The U-M researchers used a breed of rats predisposed to develop human-like heart failure and measured the effects of activated vitami
D given to rats given a normal or high salt diet compared to control group rats given either of the same diets but no vitami
D supplementation. The rats on the high-salt diet were expected to develop heart failure within only a few months.

After 13 weeks of the study, the high-risk rats on the high salt diet that were given activated vitami
D had lower levels of several key indicators associated with heart failure than the untreated high-salt rats in the study. The treated group also had a lower heart weight and the left ventricles were smaller indicating that heart function did not deteriorate as it did in the untreated rats. Decreased heart weight was found in the normal group that was treated as opposed to the untreated group.

Sunlight causes the body to make vitami
D, vitami
D is present in small amounts in foods, are available in supplements, but, according to this study, vitami
D analogs will more than likely be the treatment of choice in the future. Vitamin D analogs are already on the market for certain conditions, but a drawback is the undesirable increased blood calcium levels. Labs are conducting studies to find a safer, less toxic vitami
D analog. Until then, most physicians are recommending 1,000 IU of vitami
D per day. The tolerable upper limit for vitami
D is 2,000 IU of vitami
D per day. n