The results of a trial on 163 heart failure patients which found that supplementing with Vitamin D have been described as “stunning”.
The team from The Leeds Teaching Hospital found that it improved the heart’s ability to pump blood around the body.
I have written several blogs about the importance of Vitamin D for healthy bones and teeth and it’s role in supporting the immune system.
Our main source of Vitamin D is through the action of sunlight on the skin but here in the northern hemisphere we frequently fall short on our ability to make Vitamin D ourselves.
The average age of the participants was over 70 and they all had low levels of Vitamin D even during the summer months. This is further exacerbated by the fact that this age group tends to spend less time outside and the body’s ability to make Vitamin D reduces with age.
The participants were give 100 micrograms of Vitamin D in pill form for one year. During this time the researchers measured the impact on heart failure – a condition in which the heart is too weak to pump blood efficiently.
They measured the ‘ejection fraction’ – the amount of blood pumped out with each beat – and found that only a quarter of the blood was being pumped out successfully in heart failure patients.
In those taking the vitamin pills, the ejection fraction increased from 26% to 34%.
The study also showed the patients’ hearts became smaller – a suggestion they are becoming more powerful and efficient.
The British Heart Foundation called for longer trials to assess the pills.
If you think your Vitamin D levels are low, your GP can arrange a simple blood test to determine if supplementation may be suitable for you.
Click on the links below to read more about the role of Vitamin D in our health:
http://www.lucksyardclinic.com/why-you-need-vitamin-d/
http://www.lucksyardclinic.com/dramatic-rise-in-vitamin-d-deficiency-in-children/
http://www.lucksyardclinic.com/dramatic-rise-in-vitamin-d-deficiency-in-children/
