Low vitamin D ups the chance of premature death

NVONews Bureau

If a latest study is to be believed there is a direct link between premature death and low level of vitamin D. Low vitamin D ups the chance of premature death, the study concludes.

The study had a huge number of participants and so there must be some truth into the finding and the analysis by researchers.

The study that has been published in the top medical journal, American Journal of Public Health was conducted by doctors and researchers belonging to University of California-San Diego.

According to the study the researchers reviewed as many as 32 studies that analyzed participants’ blood levels of vitamin D and mortality rates. All the three studies put together had around 566,583 participants belonging to more than a dozen nations.

In recent years there have been increasing question about vitamin D. Now this study puts all of such questions to rest. Heather Hofflich says, “This study should give the medical community and public substantial reassurance that vitamin D is safe when used in appropriate doses up to 4,000 International Units (IU) per day”. Hofflich is a professor in the University of California School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine.

Vitamin D is of immense use for us. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services3, vitamin D is essential for the “formation, growth, and repair of bones and for normal calcium absorption and immune function” and there are studies to suggest that “higher levels of vitamin D in the blood are associated with reduced risks of colorectal cancer; however, the research results overall have been inconsistent.” It is crucial for the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous, which have various functions, especially the maintenance of healthy bones. Vitamin D also aids the immune system – vitamin D may be an important way to arm the immune system against disorders like the common cold, say scientists from the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Children’s Hospital Boston.