Vit. D is essential for women’s health. Its role for the bone health has been well known for a very long time.

Recent studies linked vitamin D with a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, inflammation and autoimmune disease.

It has quite an important role for woman’s heart too. People with low blood levels of vitamin D have a greater risk of a heart attack, heart failure, stroke, diabetes or high blood pressure later in life, explains Erin Michos, M.D., associate director of preventive cardiology at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease.

Low vitamin D levels and pregnancy

In pregnant women, low vitamin D levels are linked to pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and adverse pregnancy outcomes, explains Erin Michos.
Healthy vit. D levels can be maintained naturally. Women are advised to exercise regularly outdoors. It’s also important that they maintain a healthy diet as obesity is linked with low vitamin D.

What about vitamin supplements?

The upper tolerable limit is 4,000 international units (IU) daily, and the recommended amount for women 14 to 70 is 600 IU per day. Women 71 and older should aim for 800 IU per day, recommends Erin Michos.

Read the whole interview in John Hopkins Medicine.