Vitamin D and Coronary Artery Calcification

Dr. Eric Berg 11/10/2024

I often get questions about vitamin D, calcium, and arteries. Some people worry that taking vitamin D can lead to calcium buildup and clogged arteries.

Let's clarify this crucial connection between vitamin D, calcium, and arteries because what you think happens and what actually happens often differ.

Excessive vitamin D can cause hypervitaminosis D, which leads to high serum calcium and raises concerns about aortic calcification.

Emerging research regarding vitamin D, calcium, and arteries suggests the opposite may be true.

Does Vitamin D Cause Calcification of the Arteries?

Studies show an inverse association between vitamin D and coronary artery calcification.

Higher vitamin D levels are linked to less arterial calcification. When it comes to vitamin D, calcium, and arteries, think of vitamin D as a protector, not a contributor, potentially lowering cardiovascular mortality.

How Vitamin D Works

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, absorbed and transported with fats. It travels through the bloodstream on lipoproteins, which also transport cholesterol.

Since vitamin D aids calcium absorption, many believe excess vitamin D will cause calcium to deposit into arteries, creating plaques.

Research on vitamin D, calcium, and arteries suggests a different outcome. Calcium levels are tightly controlled, and vitamin D is not the sole regulator of calcium in arteries.

Vitamin K2 illustration

Vitamin K2 and Calcium

Vitamin K2 plays a key role in calcium regulation, working synergistically with vitamin D. Vitamin K2 directs calcium to your bones.

This nutrient diverts calcium from soft tissues like arteries and joints. If there’s excess calcium, K2 ushers it into the bones.

Artery Calcification Process

What happens with vitamin D, calcium, and arteries? Vitamin D supports various physiological processes.

Though research has shown that vitamin D does not increase calcification, understanding the process is helpful. It starts with an injury, typically from oxidation, to the artery wall.

This triggers inflammation, and your body’s healing mechanism responds with cholesterol and calcium to patch the injury.

Vitamin D can help here by decreasing inflammation, supporting the resolution of the injury, and lessening stiffness in arteries.

Vitamin D is part of the recovery process, working with calcium for artery health. This could help manage cardiovascular risk factors and improve brachial artery health.

Factors like high phosphate levels in individuals with kidney disease may also play a role in vascular calcification.

It is useful to learn about cardiovascular risk and other factors that can affect cardiovascular health so that one can minimize major adverse cardiovascular events and coronary heart disease and decrease mortality risk.

Vitamin D3 capsule and sources

Benefits of Vitamin D for Arteries

Vitamin D intake can decrease arterial stiffness, aiding healthy circulation and possibly impacting pulse wave velocity.

This could benefit patients suffering from diabetes mellitus as brachial artery pulse pressure has been negatively correlated with total number of vascular smooth muscle cells which often lead to increased pulse wave velocity.

A study explored genetically engineered crops and how they are similar to traditionally cultivated plants.

Taking both vitamin D and vitamin K2 may be crucial. Even with larger amounts of vitamin D, excess calcium is unlikely to be a problem if vitamin K2 is taken concurrently.

These benefits are still being researched in observational studies and randomized controlled trials.

How High Dose Vitamin D Affects Arterial Health

High dose vitamin D plays a vital role in supporting arterial health by enhancing calcium absorption, crucial for maintaining strong bones and proper vascular function.

When vitamin D levels are optimal, it can help reduce arterial stiffness, promoting better blood flow and cardiovascular health.

However, taking high doses without balanced calcium intake can lead to elevated blood calcium levels, potentially resulting in arterial calcification, where calcium deposits form in the arteries.

For those considering high-dose vitamin D, especially on specific diets like keto or while practicing intermittent fasting, it’s essential to monitor both vitamin D and calcium intake carefully.

This ensures the benefits for arterial health are maximized without increasing the risk of calcification or related cardiovascular concerns.

Conclusion

A balanced perspective on vitamin D, calcium, and arterial health is essential to dispel misconceptions and highlight the potential cardiovascular benefits of vitamin D.

Research increasingly suggests that vitamin D is not a contributor to arterial calcification but may be a crucial ally in promoting cardiovascular health.

By supporting healthy calcium absorption and reducing inflammation, vitamin D can contribute to the maintenance of flexible, resilient arteries—qualities essential for a healthy heart and circulatory system.

Contrary to popular concerns, vitamin D, when taken in appropriate amounts, is unlikely to cause calcium buildup in the arteries.

The nutrient’s role in calcium regulation is moderated by a delicate interplay with vitamin K2, which directs calcium to the bones rather than soft tissues.

This synergy is especially significant, as vitamin K2 prevents calcium from accumulating in the arteries, which could lead to stiffening and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Together, these vitamins support bone strength and vascular flexibility, both key aspects of long-term health.

FAQs about vitamin D, calcium, and arteries

Can vitamin D cause calcium buildup in arteries?

It’s a common misconception that vitamin D causes calcium buildup in arteries. While vitamin D aids calcium absorption, research suggests the opposite.

Studies link higher vitamin D levels to less calcium buildup in arteries.

This may be due to factors like vitamin K2, which regulates calcium use, especially in those with pre-existing conditions like chronic kidney disease.

What vitamin stops calcium buildup in arteries?

Vitamin K2 directs calcium to bones, preventing buildup in soft tissues, including arteries, and reducing arterial stiffness.

What removes calcium buildup in arteries?

While completely reversing arterial calcium buildup with supplements alone may not be achievable, vitamin K2 supports healthy calcium use.

It diverts calcium from arteries, reducing cardiovascular risk factors by activating matrix Gla protein (MGP). MGP works to remove excess calcium and deposit it in bones where it’s needed.

Does vitamin D help clean arteries?

Vitamin D’s anti-inflammatory effects may improve artery wall function and resilience. It could potentially decrease plaque development, sometimes seen as calcium deposits in arteries.

Maintaining sufficient levels may reduce the risk of adverse effects.

This area of research, often involving controlled trials with data points from experimental animals and high doses of vitamin D and calcium supplements, offers promising results regarding cardiovascular outcomes, aortic pulse wave velocity, and how OHD levels interact with vascular smooth muscle cells, but is still evolving.