Natural Treatment For Blood Pressure
Especially if you are over 40, an age when people are more susceptible to heart disease, Vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, is critical for blood pressure control.
You might know of vitamin D's role in balancing calcium and phosphorus which leads to strong bones.
What isn't so well known is that people with low Vitamin D3 levels are twice as likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or other heart-related event.
This holds true even when other heart risk factors such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure are taken into account.
Vitamin D3 is a critical vitamin supplement for high blood pressure.
Even more amazing is that more than 1 in 3 older adults are extremely deficient in Vitamin D3.
Studies show that people with low Vitamin D3 levels were three times more likely to die from heart disease and 2.
5 times more likely to die from any other cause than people with optimal Vitamin D levels.
The solution for Vitamin D deficiency is easier than you think.
This vital nutrient can actually be produced in the body! Exposure to the mid-day sun during the spring, summer and fall for 15 to 30 minutes produces approximately 10,000IU of Vitamin D.
That's 50 times more than the current US government's recommendation of 200IU per day.
For healthy adults and adolescents that regularly avoid sunlight exposure, research recommends a 5,000 IU dose per day.
Obviously, this dose is significantly less than the levels produced by the body after sunlight exposure.
However, it is usually enough to bring the blood levels of Vitamin D3 into a healthy range.
There are many variables to adequate sun exposure.
Most research recognizes that people with darker skin absorb less sunlight and may require more time in the sun.
Winter, especially above 34 degrees latitude, is also a time when Vitamin D levels decline, due to less sunlight, and heart problems rise.
Finally, sunscreen rated at 8 or above will block most of the healthy UVB rays necessary to absorb Vitamin D.
Of course, burned skin isn't healthy and won't absorb Vitamin D properly.
Additionally, older people spend less time in the sun and their kidneys are less efficient at converting sunlight into Vitamin D.
For those who are overweight, the fat-soluble Vitamin D absorbs into the fat cells and is less available for a healthy body.
Inevitably, most people think of milk or multiple vitamins as Vitamin D sources.
However, since a glass of milk only contains about 115 to 124 IU of Vitamin D it is a poor source.
Additionally, most multiple vitamin sources contain 200IU to 400IU of Vitamin D.
Clearly, these are not very potent sources.
As a comparison, cod liver oil can provide about 1,300IU in each tablespoonful.
Krill oil offers a more concentrated source with less mercury toxicity, about 1/5 the cod liver oil amount, and usually at a higher price.
It is known that Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin.
All fat-soluble vitamins can accumulate in the body to toxic levels.
For this reason, it is critical that blood levels of Vitamin D3 are monitored by a health care practitioner.
Since Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, medications that decrease the amount of fat absorbed in the intestines will reduce blood levels significantly.
People taking the weight-loss drug orlistat and the cholesterol-lowering drug cholestyramine might require additional Vitamin D3 supplementation.
It is also important to note that the seizure drugs, phenytoin and phenobarbital, increase the inactivation of Vitamin D and might also require supplementation.
Clearly, Vitamin D is a critical natural treatment for high blood pressure and heart disease.
Since each person absorbs Vitamin D differently, depending on their location, size, skin color or age, it is imperative that your doctor or health care practitioner checks blood levels regularly.
You might know of vitamin D's role in balancing calcium and phosphorus which leads to strong bones.
What isn't so well known is that people with low Vitamin D3 levels are twice as likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or other heart-related event.
This holds true even when other heart risk factors such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure are taken into account.
Vitamin D3 is a critical vitamin supplement for high blood pressure.
Even more amazing is that more than 1 in 3 older adults are extremely deficient in Vitamin D3.
Studies show that people with low Vitamin D3 levels were three times more likely to die from heart disease and 2.
5 times more likely to die from any other cause than people with optimal Vitamin D levels.
The solution for Vitamin D deficiency is easier than you think.
This vital nutrient can actually be produced in the body! Exposure to the mid-day sun during the spring, summer and fall for 15 to 30 minutes produces approximately 10,000IU of Vitamin D.
That's 50 times more than the current US government's recommendation of 200IU per day.
For healthy adults and adolescents that regularly avoid sunlight exposure, research recommends a 5,000 IU dose per day.
Obviously, this dose is significantly less than the levels produced by the body after sunlight exposure.
However, it is usually enough to bring the blood levels of Vitamin D3 into a healthy range.
There are many variables to adequate sun exposure.
Most research recognizes that people with darker skin absorb less sunlight and may require more time in the sun.
Winter, especially above 34 degrees latitude, is also a time when Vitamin D levels decline, due to less sunlight, and heart problems rise.
Finally, sunscreen rated at 8 or above will block most of the healthy UVB rays necessary to absorb Vitamin D.
Of course, burned skin isn't healthy and won't absorb Vitamin D properly.
Additionally, older people spend less time in the sun and their kidneys are less efficient at converting sunlight into Vitamin D.
For those who are overweight, the fat-soluble Vitamin D absorbs into the fat cells and is less available for a healthy body.
Inevitably, most people think of milk or multiple vitamins as Vitamin D sources.
However, since a glass of milk only contains about 115 to 124 IU of Vitamin D it is a poor source.
Additionally, most multiple vitamin sources contain 200IU to 400IU of Vitamin D.
Clearly, these are not very potent sources.
As a comparison, cod liver oil can provide about 1,300IU in each tablespoonful.
Krill oil offers a more concentrated source with less mercury toxicity, about 1/5 the cod liver oil amount, and usually at a higher price.
It is known that Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin.
All fat-soluble vitamins can accumulate in the body to toxic levels.
For this reason, it is critical that blood levels of Vitamin D3 are monitored by a health care practitioner.
Since Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, medications that decrease the amount of fat absorbed in the intestines will reduce blood levels significantly.
People taking the weight-loss drug orlistat and the cholesterol-lowering drug cholestyramine might require additional Vitamin D3 supplementation.
It is also important to note that the seizure drugs, phenytoin and phenobarbital, increase the inactivation of Vitamin D and might also require supplementation.
Clearly, Vitamin D is a critical natural treatment for high blood pressure and heart disease.
Since each person absorbs Vitamin D differently, depending on their location, size, skin color or age, it is imperative that your doctor or health care practitioner checks blood levels regularly.