Health Hotline Magazine | October 2020

DOITFOR CARDIOVASCULARHEALTH

While supporting immunity is top-of-mind these days, we shouldn’t forget about the importance of supporting whole-body health, and the cardiovascular system is one of the best places to start. Just as vitamin D receptors are found in most immune cells, they are also found in all the major cardiovascular cells and studies have “demonstrated an independent association between vitamin D deficiency and various manifestations of degenerative cardiovascular disease including vascular calcification.” xii When you have optimal levels of vitamin D, it is able to influence cardiovascular health—via gene expression—in a number of ways, some of which include reducing endothelial inflammation; improving arterial dilation, endothelial repair, and vascular tone; reducing the risk of thrombosis; and supporting healthy blood pressure. xiii DOITFOR OPTIMALBRAINFUNCTION Vitamin D receptors are found throughout the central nervous system, where vitamin D plays a critical role in brain development and cognitive function. Clinical studies have found that low serum vitamin D levels are associated with reduced cognitive function, dementia, autism, anxiety, and depression. xiv xv In a study of seniors, with an average vitamin D level of 18 ng/mL, those with the lowest levels had the most depression and the worst performance on dementia and cognitive function tests.xvi In a separate study, the same researchers investigated whether neurological manifestations of vitamin D deficiency were more common in African Americans, who have a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in general. The researchers compared 30 African Americans with 30 white Americans (the subjects were all older than 50) and found that African Americans had an average serum level of 18 ng/ mL compared to 25 ng/mL in white Americans. Among African Americans, vitamin D deficiency was associated with worse cognitive performance compared to those African Americans who had normal vitamin D levels, leading the researchers to write, “This significant finding suggests that African Americans may be at a particular increased risk for cognitive impairment as a result of their vitamin D deficiency.” xvii Vitamin D is involved in the biosynthesis of neurotrophic factors such as nerve growth factor (which support the growth, survival, and di erentiation of neurons), neurotransmitter production, and increased glutathione levels in the brain (important for detoxification and antioxidant protection). It has also been shown to have a neuroprotective e ect, including clearing amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as support synaptic plasticity, or the brain’s ability to grow and change. Recent research has shown that deficiencies of vitamin D in pregnant women may lead to disabilities in their o spring, including learning and memory problems, while su cient levels decrease the risk for their children developing mental illness later in life. And finally, studies have also found that supplementation with vitamin D improves symptoms of depression and anxiety. xviii xix xx xxi xxii xxiii

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