Low vitamin D levels associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity

In this important study, 8186 men and 7902 women over the age of 20 were examined for any contribution Vitamin D may make against cardiovascular disease. The active form of vitamin D was well below the recommended goal in the blood of women, those 60 and older, and in ethnic minorities (African Americans and Mexican Americans).

When comparing those subjects with the top 25% of intake vs. those with the 25% lowest intake having lower levels of Vitamin D was connected to a 30% greater risk of developing high blood pressure, a 98% increased risk of developing diabetes, and a 129% increased risk of being obese

The collaborative study was performed by scientists from Harvard Medical School, The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, the Charles, R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in LA, and other medical-research institutions.

Calcium and Vitamin D both decrease the risk of invasive breast cancer in younger women

Animal data suggests that Calcium and Vitamin D inhibit the development of breast cancer. In this new study Harvard researchers collected data on the intake of Vitamin D and Calcium in 10,578 premenopausal women, and 20,909 postmenopausal women 45 years or older. The women were followed for 10 years on average.

The results were spectacular; premenopausal women in the highest fifth of Calcium intake had a 39% drop in the risk of developing breast cancer vs. those in the lowest fifth of intake (we call this a quintile in science; populations are split into five levels; lowest vs. highest). Premenopausal women in the highest quintile for Vitamin D intake had a 35% drop in risk vs. the lowest quintile of intake. The study is published in the May 28th, 2007 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Another way that Cocoa Polyphenols help protect us from developing heart disease

Test subjects were randomly placed on a Cocoa powder twice a day at three different levels (a total of 13g a day, 19.5g a day, or 26g a day). The Cocoa was brewed twice a day in hot water. A group was placed on a Cocoa powder low in Polyphenols. All three groups receiving Cocoa Polyphenols had an increase in beneficial HDL, a drop on their LDL-cholesterol, and additionally LDL-cholesterol was less likely to go rancid decreasing its ability to cause inflammation and damage in blood vessel walls. The study is published in the June 2007 issue of The Journal of Nutrition.