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There are plenty of things we can do to protect our hearts as we age, from working out regularly to managing stress—but what about the best nutrients to supplement for your heart health?

According to research published in the British Medical Journal1, there’s one essential vitamin that could actually reduce your risk of heart attack. Here’s what to know.

Studying how vitamin D impacts heart health in older adults

For this study, researchers conducted the largest trial of its kind to date, in order to better understand the connection between heart health and vitamin D.

To do so, they had older adult participants (60 to 84 years old) supplement vitamin D once a month for a duration of up to five years. Over 20,000 people took part, with roughly half of them taking a 60,000 IU vitamin D supplement monthly and the other half taking a placebo.

From there, the researchers kept track of any major cardiovascular events among the participants, such as heart attacks or strokes, in order to assess how the vitamin D might impact the likelihood of such events.

And based on the findings, it would appear vitamin D is just as essential as ever. Namely, the number of major cardiovascular events was 9% lower in the participants supplementing vitamin D compared to the placebo group, with the rate of heart attacks specifically being 19% lower, and an 11% lower chance of coronary revascularization, compared to the placebo.

What to do about it

According to the study authors, their findings suggest that vitamin D supplementation may very well reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events like heart attacks.

Of course, there are plenty of supplements to choose from on the market today, so you’ll want to go for a quality, research-backed vitamin D supplement with the recommended daily value or more, plus targeted ingredients for absorption. (Here’s a roundup of our top picks if you’re curious.)

In addition to supplementing vitamin D, there are other simple lifestyle factors you can incorporate into your routine to mind your heart health. Rules of thumb like working out regularly, managing your cholesterol and blood pressure, and eating a balanced diet.

The takeaway

Vitamin D has a plethora of health benefits, so it’s so important to make sure you’re getting enough of it, especially as you age.

Whether you want to improve your mood, or according to this study, tend to your heart health, this essential vitamin is not one to skip out on.