Vitamin Sunshine

New research indicates that free, circulating Vitamin D level in the bloodstream may be a good predictor of future health and disease risk in ageing men.

As is known, Vitamin D is important for maintaining healthy bones as well as protecting against infections and diseases. Deficiency in Vitamin D is a major health problem, with estimates suggesting that about 1 billion people have low levels of Vitamin D in their blood. Vitamin D deficiency is common in Europe, especially in elderly people, and it has been associated with a higher risk for developing many ageing-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoporosis. A research study conducted by Dr. Leen Antonio from university Hospitals Leuven (Belgium) and a team of European researchers has indicated that the level of free, circulating Vitamin D may be a good predictor of future health and disease risk in ageing men.

Their findings were presented at the 22nd European Congress of Endocrinology conference in early September 2020. “There are several forms, or metabolites, of Vitamin D in the body but it is the total amount of these metabolites that is most often used to assess the Vitamin D status of people. More than 99% of all Vitamin D metabolites in our blood are bound to proteins; so only a very small fraction is free to be biologically active. Therefore, the free, active forms may be a better predictor of current and future health,” the study states.