COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – A study is saying that while many health problems can be linked to low vitamin D levels, high levels of it are being blamed for an increased mortality rate.
The study from the University of Copenhagen is the first in the world to show the importance of balancing vitamin D levels for good health results and to make a connection between high levels of vitamin D and stroke or cardiovascular deaths.
The research was published in the March 10 edition of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
For the study 247,574 people were studied over seven years using blood samples. In those years 16,645 of those in the study died. The connection between their deaths and low or high levels of vitamin D in their bloodstreams was examined.
The study confirmed there is a correlation between mortality rates of vitamin D being too low (below 50) or too high (above 100) nanomol per litre and death rates and death causes.
Science Daily quotes one study author as saying “We have looked at what caused the death of patients, and when numbers are above 100, it appears that there is an increased risk of dying from a stroke or a coronary. In other words, levels of vitamin D should not be too low, but neither should they be too high. Levels should be somewhere in between 50 and 100 nanomol per litre, and our study indicates that 70 is the most preferable level.”
This study may have influence on medical professionals’ attitudes on the safe intake of nutritional supplements.
http://press.endocrine.org/doi/abs/10.1210/jc.2014-4551