What happens is that over the time, fatty deposits in your arteries restrict the blood flow to your extremities. Your arms and legs, toes and fingers don't get enough blood, causing pain and numbness. In severe cases, this leads to difficulty walking and can even lead to amputation. This condition called peripheral artery disease.
Vitamin D is actually made by your body when the skin is exposed to sunlight. Turns out that vitamin D is important to proper functioning of your arteries. People with low levels of vitamin D have an increased risk for peripheral artery disease.
In a study of 4839 adults, vitamin D levels were monitored. People also were screened for peripheral artery disease on a regular basis. People with low levels of vitamin D were 80% more likely to have peripheral artery disease compared to those in the highest levels.
Should I take vitamin D supplements?
While the study showed that low levels of vitamin D are links to an increased risk of peripheral artery disease, we don't know supplements might help. The reasons for the low levels of vitamin D could be complex and simple dietary supplementation may not be the answer.How dangerous is peripheral artery disease?
Peripheral artery disease increases an individual's risk of heart attack or stroke. It also increases the risk of problems in circulation in the hands and feet. Basically, the fatty deposits cut off blood flow to the extremities, which can lead to complications.More About Anti-Aging Supplements
Source: Michal L. Melamed, Paul Muntner, Erin D. Michos, Jaime Uribarri, Collin Weber, Jyotirmay Sharma, and Paolo Raggi. Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and the Prevalence of Peripheral Arterial Disease: Results from NHANES 2001 to 2004.
Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., Jun 2008; 28: 1179 - 1185.
