Nothing like a bit of sunshine for healthy bones. Naturally available in our body when we expose ourselves to sunlight, vitamin D3 helps our bodies absorb the calcium we need. A new study shows that Vitamin D3 can restore heart health, targeting damage to the cardiovascular system caused by diseases like hypertension and diabetes.
Over time, in clinical settings is has been noticed that patients who have a heart attack are also deficient in vitamin D3.
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This does not indicate that the lack of this vital vitamin causes the heart attack but rather the deficiency of vitamin D3 may increase the risk of a heart attack.
A team of researchers used nanosensors to determine why vitamin D3 may be important to our health especially for the function and restoration of the cardiovascular system.
The nanosensors were developed by the research team and are about 1000 times smaller in diameter than human hair. The nanosensors were used to track the effect of vitamin D3 on single endothelial cells – vital regulatory element of the cardiovascular system – from Caucasian Americans and African Americans.
The results of the study were similar for both ethnic groups.
One of the findings of this study is that vitamin D3 is a strong stimulator of nitric oxide (NO) which is a major signaling molecule in the regulation of blood flow and the prevention of blood clot formation in the cardiovascular system.
The researchers also found that vitamin D3 significantly reduced oxidative stress and most importantly vitamin D3 can significantly restore the damage to the cardiovascular system caused by various diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and atherosclerosis. This restorative effect of vitamin D3 can also lead to the reduction of heart attacks.
This study was the first to identify the molecular mechanisms that takes place in the restoration of the functioning of damaged endothelium cells in the cardiovascular system. The dysfunction of these cells is common in several cardiovascular diseases especially those associated with ischemic events.
According to researchers there are not any known systems which can restore damaged endothelial cells but vitamin D3 shows the possibility of doing just that.
It seems to be a very inexpensive method of restoring damaged cells for which no new drugs are needed but a high does of vitamin D3 (three times that used for the treatment of bone diseases) will be extremely beneficial for the cardiovascular system.
Vitamin D deficiency can make you very sick, so its important to get your daily dose of sunlight and incorporate eggs and oily fish in your diet as they are the only sources of naturally occurring vitamin D.
Soak up the sun for 20 minutes daily on your hands and face and know that your body is making this important vitamin which keeps us healthy and also restores our heart to its healthy self.
Source: International Journal of Nanomedicine
