You may have heard that taking a vitamin D supplement can lower cholesterol, a fatty substance found in cells that, at high levels, can raise the risk of heart disease. But there’s no definitive evidence that this essential vitamin influences cholesterol levels.
Vitamin D, also called calciferol, is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays several important roles in the body, including helping with calcium absorption, strengthening bones, lowering inflammation, and influencing the way your body processes cholesterol.
It’s true that individuals with low vitamin D levels are more likely to have abnormal cholesterol levels, while those with normal vitamin D levels tend to have better cholesterol levels. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that taking a vitamin D supplement will improve your cholesterol levels. Studies examining how vitamin D influences cholesterol have had mixed results.
One study, for example, found that vitamin D supplements can help lower total cholesterol and LDL levels, but do not affect HDL levels. Other studies have shown that people with a deficiency can use vitamin D supplements in combination with other medications to manage cholesterol levels.
On the other hand, other research suggests that vitamin D has no effect on cholesterol levels at all or even a negative one, significantly increasing total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol levels.
There’s no strong evidence that vitamin D supplementation lowers cholesterol levels—and in fact, vitamin D may reduce the effectiveness of statins, medications like Lipitor (Atorvastatin) and Zocor (simvastatin) meant to lower cholesterol.
Vitamin D is often recommended for people who are deficient or at risk of a deficiency. However, if you do take—or are interested in taking—vitamin D, it’s important to know that having too much in your system (the recommended maximum daily dose of vitamin D is about 4,000 international units (IU)) can be harmful. High doses of vitamin D supplements may cause nausea, vomiting, confusion, dehydration, extreme thirst, kidney stones, and in extreme cases, kidney failure and irregular heartbeat. When using vitamin D daily, especially in higher doses, consider speaking to a healthcare provider to avoid toxicity.
High cholesterol is often detected through diagnostic screening, as it often doesn’t have noticeable symptoms. A lipid profile test is a blood test that measures total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
If your cholesterol level is abnormal—above 200 mg/dL—your healthcare provider may recommend the following:
- Cholesterol-lowering medicines, like statins
- Lifestyle changes like dietary changes and exercise
- Monitoring your cholesterol levels regularly