Men Low Vitamin D

Men are less likely to have a heart attack if they eat dairy products and get at least 15 minutes of sunlight. Last year there was an issue in the Archives of Internal Medicine linking low levels of vitamin D in men with the risk of getting a heart attack. The study showed elevated heart disease related deaths for those living in higher latitudes and during the winter where there is less daylight and a decrease in deaths at lower latitudes and summer months.

A current study performed at Harvard School of Health reviewed medical records of 454 men between the ages of 40-75 who either had heart attacks and lived or died of heart disease. They compared their findings with records of 900 healthy men and made a profiling of their diet and lifestyle. These researchers found that men who had vitamin D deficiencies had a higher risk of heart disease than those with sufficient vitamin D levels. Heart disease doubled if the subject also suffered from high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, high triglycerides or had family history of heart disease. Men with borderline levels of vitamin D also were more likely to have a heart attack than those with adequate vitamin D levels.

In order to substantially improve your potential for health benefits it is recommended that you increase your vitamin D levels as a deficiency has been related to a number of conditions even death. The typical diet does not provide enough vitamin D since there are few foods that contain the vitamin naturally. Vitamin D fortified foods are milk, cereals, orange juice and other dairy products. Getting at least 15 minutes of sunshine is also key to maintaining vitamin D levels.

Note: If you are over 50 years of age you should get tested for a vitamin D deficiency. Your doctor may prescribe a more potent supplement than those found in health food stores or pharmacies. Remember as you age it is harder for your body to convert vitamin D and a supplement may be necessary.

If you are trying to get your spouse pregnant and having difficulty researchers at Fertility First a clinic in Australia have found that men with vitamin D and folate deficiencies had fragmented sperm or damaged DNA in their blood.

They discovered that a substance known as homocysteine, an amino acid that occurs when the body is toxic from lack of folate and vitamins. Knowing the importance of folic acid and vitamin D is for women who are trying to get pregnant, now they have discovered the same is true for men. During a study of 100 men who agreed to take supplements and make lifestyle changes such as; stop smoking, eat healthier and stop drinking caffeinated beverages, 40% were able to impregnate their partner naturally. This is a much higher than average rate of success than for IVF alone.

Of those that did make the necessary changes, 40% were then able to successfully impregnate their partners, with a little help from the assisted conception clinic, and 11 of the pregnancies occurred totally naturally with no medical help. This is much higher than the average success rate for IVF alone.