Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated. High blood pressure causes your arteries to stretch beyond normal.
There are risk factors that can increase your chances of developing hypertension. Some of these risk factors are based on your lifestyle and can be controlled, like your diet. Other risk factors can’t be controlled, such as age or gender.
Research shows that there is a link between vitamin D and hypertension. People with higher vitamin D levels tend to have lower blood pressure and are less likely to develop hypertension.
Some studies show that taking a vitamin D supplement may help people lower their blood pressure. However, the research has been inconsistent, meaning that we can’t say for sure whether or not taking vitamin D supplements would reduce your chances of developing hypertension or reduce your blood pressure.
If you have hypertension or you are trying to prevent hypertension and want to take vitamin D, it is unlikely to make your hypertension worse or cause you any harm, as long as you take less than 10,000 IU per day. However, we also can’t say for sure if it will help to prevent or treat hypertension.
If you have hypertension, you shouldn’t take vitamin D in place of your treatment medications. Talk to your doctor for more advice about taking supplements.