Vitamin D has long been known to build strong bones, but a British study has found that middle-aged and elderly people with high levels of vitamin D reduce their risk of developing heart disease or diabetes by 43 percent.

Researchers at Warwick Medical School reviewed 28 studies that examined vitamin

D and cardiometabolic disorders, which include cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. The 99,795 participants included men and women from a variety of ethnic groups.

Those participants with the highest levels of vitamin D lowered their risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 33 percent, their risk of Type 2 diabetes by 55 percent, and their chances of metabolic syndrome by 51 percent when compared to those with low levels of the vitamin.

"We found that high levels of vitamin D among middle-age and elderly populations are associated with a substantial decrease in cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome," study co-leader Dr. Oscar Franco, Assistant Professor in Public Health at Warwick Medical School, said in a statement.

"Targeting vitamin D deficiency in adult populations could potentially slow the current epidemics of cardiometabolic disorders."

Vitamin D is also associated with a number of additional health benefits, including a reduced risk of developing several types of cancer.

Vitamin D can be obtained from exposure to sunlight, vitamin supplements, and foods such as salmon and tuna.

The National Institute of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements recommends that adults under the age of 50 get 200 IU of vitamin D each day. Adults 50-70 should get 400 IU daily and adults ages 71 and above should have an intake of 600 IU each day.

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