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Having been diagnosed with high cholesterol your doctor is probably pushing you for dangerous medications with a list of side effects that extend longer than the listings in a phone book.<\/p>\nHaving been diagnosed with high cholesterol your doctor is probably pushing you for dangerous medications with a list of side effects that extend longer than the listings in a phone book.<\/p>\n
Now if he\/she is good, you may also have received recommendations of some basic diet and lifestyle changes (oftentimes impossible to follow).<\/p>\n
But how about taking one vitamin, available in every health food store\u2026 and even better, one you can get for free in most places?<\/p>\n
And this vitamin was proven in a new study from Women\u2019s Health Initiative to significantly lower bad cholesterol and raise good.<\/p>\n
Vitamin D is well-known for treating weak bones, but now it has been identified that it can help control the level of cholesterol as well. <\/p>\n
In the study published in the journal, Menopause, the researchers focused on a group of 576 women, all of whom were postmenopausal. They were divided into two groups: one group was administered a daily dose of 400 units of Vitamin D along with 1000 milligrams of calcium while the other group was given a placebo.<\/p>\n
The women were followed-up for a period of three years. The researchers took into account the various habits of the women including initial Vitamin D level in serum, smoking and drinking habits. <\/p>\n
At the end of the study period, it was found through blood tests that there was a significant rise in the level of Vitamin D in the serum. This included a corresponding small but significant drop in the \u2018bad\u2019 LDL cholesterol and a rise in the \u2018good\u2019 HDL.<\/p>\n
It was also discovered that the supplements were especially helpful in raising Vitamin D levels in older women.<\/strong> Also the Vitamin D level rose at a higher level in those women who did not smoke or consume alcohol.<\/p>\n While the researchers emphasize that Vitamin D cannot be directly correlated to cardiovascular health, they recommend that Vitamin D is included as much as possible in the daily diet, because this vitamin plays many regulatory roles in the body and is essential for overall health.<\/p>\n A small amount of Vitamin D is found in fatty fish like mackerel, herring, tuna and sardines. Many dairy products, cereals and juices are fortified with Vitamin D. <\/p>\n However, the best way to get your daily requirement of Vitamin D is to go and get some sunlight! 15-30 minutes of daily sunlight is all you need.<\/p>\n