Some time ago, I wrote that having the flu makes you much more likely to have a heart attack. Now we know why.
We’ve known for a long time that vitamin D is critical for preventing the flu. But new research in obese children is breaking ground in the vitamin’s ability to fight cardiovascular disease.
In this study, the researchers evaluated the vitamin D levels of children and adolescents between six and 17 years of age for two years. Of the 332 patients, 178 of them met criteria for overweight and obesity, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) above the 85th percentile. Here’s what they found.
Patients with a vitamin D deficiency – levels below 20 ng/ml – were significantly more likely to have markers of early cardiovascular disease. That means that their total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, non-HDL cholesterol, and their ratios of total cholesterol to HDL and triglycerides to HDL were all higher in vitamin D-deficient patients.
While this study is on children, I think it’s even more applicable to adults. Children are the least likely victims of cardiovascular disease. So it’s telling that a vitamin D deficiency would raise their risk so dramatically. Imagine what it will do to an older body.
Since vitamin D deficiency makes you more susceptible to the flu, it makes sense that having the flu could be an early warning of a possible heart attack. It doesn’t necessarily mean the flu causes the heart attack, though it could weaken your heart and your body’s defenses enough to trigger it. But the underlying vitamin D deficiency could cause both the flu and the heart attack.
We’ve already seen some cases of the flu this year. So make sure you’re taking plenty of vitamin D, as well as flavonoids and probiotics. The optimal level of vitamin D is above 50 ng/ml. Most people need to take 5,000 IU daily of vitamin D to maintain this level.
Reference:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170404104813.htm.