By Ethan A. Huff,contributing writer to Natural News
Just as the “cholesterol causes clogged arteries” myth is finally being put to rest, a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism reveals what may be a much more likely cause of modern heart disease: inadequate vitamin D intake.
Researchers from Finland found that adults who had low vitamin D levels during their adolescent and teen years are much more likely to suffer artery hardening and heart disease as adults compared to others who had adequate or optimal vitamin D levels growing up.
Dr. Markus Juonala, a specialist in internal medicine and endocrinology at the University of Turku, studied more than 2,100 Finnish people for his study, evaluating their individual vitamin D levels between ages 3 and 18. He then compared these levels with rates of artery hardening at ages 30 to 45, looking for any correlation between vitamin D levels and heart disease.
After accounting for a variety of outside factors including high blood pressure, smoking status, poor eating habits, lack of exercise and obesity, Dr. Juonala and his colleagues found a direct correlation between low vitamin D levels in childhood and increased risk of heart problems from artery hardening.
