Vitamin D does not reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer

Table of contents:

Vitamin D does not reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer
Vitamin D does not reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer
Anonim

Previous studies have shown that vitamin D can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and cancer. Few high-quality, controlled studies have been conducted to confirm this.

A recent study in Finland examined the effect of a vitamin D supplement on the he alth of participants. It did not establish a connection between its intake and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease or cancer in people who drank it, the website medicalnewstoday.com wrote in its publication.

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which improves bone strength. Among other functions, it also contributes to the functioning of muscles, nerves and the immune system. Many scientists have set out to understand how the deficiency of this vitamin and the intake of supplements with it can affect certain diseases.

According to the World He alth Organization (WHO), there is some evidence that vitamin D can help protect against respiratory tract infections, for example. Over the past 2 years, researchers have also studied whether the popular vitamin reduces the risks associated with the disease COVID-19. Although studies are ongoing, there appears to be some evidence that these supplements may reduce the number of ICU admissions with this infection.

Two other areas of particular interest are the potential effects of vitamin D on the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. A recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition goes some way to overcoming this lack of knowledge on the subject.

Cancer and Heart Disease

In conversation with Vimal Karani, Professor of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics at the University of Reading, UK, it became clear that there is a discrepancy between initial research and clinical trial results.

Prof. Karani was not involved in the recent study, but worked with some of its authors. He explained that previous large epidemiological studies "have found an association between vitamin D deficiency and the risk of developing cardiovascular disease in various ethnic groups".

This, he says, suggests that supplementation with this vitamin may reduce cardiovascular risk. Although, the scientist added, "clinical trials have not provided conclusive evidence for the blood pressure-lowering effect of vitamin D supplementation."

Prof. Karani said there could be a wide range of reasons for this, including “differences in sample size, duration of supplementation, dosage, age of participants, geographic location, sun exposure, etc. Further research is needed.”

The Finnish study

It took place between 2012 and 2018.and was double-blind, randomized, as well as placebo-controlled. "When we started planning the study, there was a lot of evidence from observational studies that vitamin D deficiency would be associated with almost all major chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and also mortality," says Dr. Yurki. Virtanen.

However, this type of study does not provide evidence of causality. At the time, there was little evidence from controlled studies that improving the body's level of this vitamin with supplementation reduced the risk of disease. Therefore, our aim was to start a long-term study of vitamin D supplementation among people living in Finland, where vitamin D insufficiency was quite common due to the long winter, and to investigate whether supplementation could reduce the risk of major chronic diseases and death.”

Researchers looked at data from 2,495 people, men aged 60 and over and postmenopausal women over 65. The subjects had no history of cardiovascular disease or cancer. Participants took either a placebo or a vitamin dose of 1,600 or 3,200 international units (IU) each day.

No link found

Compared to a placebo, neither dose of vitamin D reduced the incidence of cardiovascular disease or cancer among the subjects, the team found.

“The problem with most large studies of vitamin D supplementation is that the baseline levels were quite high in a large proportion of the people studied,” explained Dr Virtanen.

The scientists added that those who could benefit from supplementation with this vitamin, ie. have low serum levels are a minority in the studies. But it would be unethical to keep some of the people in the study, for example in the placebo group, vitamin D deficient for several years while the study is going on.

Recommended: