In a recent study, scientists from the University of California, Davis discovered that some individuals who reside in northern California living with metabolic syndrome also have insufficient levels of vitamin D. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), a person with metabolic syndrome could have high blood pressure, be overweight or their body could improperly use blood sugar. As a result, this predisposes a person to develop poor heart health, such as stroke or heart disease, as well as diabetes.

The researchers examined the vitamin D levels of 44 patients who suffered from metabolic syndrome and compared them to 37 healthy controls. All of the participants were from the Sacramento area.

Overall, 30 percent of the subjects with metabolic syndrome had insufficient levels of vitamin D, while only 8 percent of those in the healthy group had this deficiency. In addition, the researchers noted that these low levels were associated with the risk of diabetes or insulin resistance.

Ishwarlal Jialal, M.D., the study’s principal investigator, said that the results were surprising due to the significant amounts of sunshine in California. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of the main sources of vitamin D comes from sunlight exposure. However, Jialal added that these findings provide evidence that vitamin D supplements may help to prevent poor heart health complications such as stroke, as well as the development of diabetes.