Researchers at the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) in Hyderabad have found that prolonged vitamin D deficiency can lead to significant cellular damage in heart tissue. Their study, published in the journal Steroids on October 3, 2026, involved feeding thirty rats various diets over 20 weeks, with one group receiving no vitamin D, another receiving 200 IU, and a third receiving 2,000 IU per kilogram of food.
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The results revealed that rats with no vitamin D showed increased markers of oxidative stress, cellular damage, and other indicators of heart cell death. The heart tissue exhibited heightened oxidative damage and a weakened antioxidant defense system. Specifically, proteins involved in cellular protection, such as Nrf2, were reduced, leading to diminished capacity to manage oxidative stress.
The research team, including Athira Anilkumar Sudharma, Shabna Aboo, and Ayesha Ismail, found that vitamin D deficiency triggered a cascade of stress responses in heart cells. The average blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were significantly lower in the deficient group (5.81 ng/ml) compared to the adequate group (58.23 ng/ml).
Dr. Ayesha Ismail emphasized that the findings illustrate how vitamin D deficiency may initiate a sequence leading to oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, autophagy, and ultimately programmed cell death in cardiac tissue. Specific markers related to apoptosis were notably increased in vitamin D-deficient hearts.
The team also conducted experiments with cultured rat heart cells, demonstrating that treatment with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 improved cell viability and health of the cells exposed to oxidative stress, suggesting a protective role for vitamin D.
However, the researchers cautioned that their findings are based on animal studies and do not directly translate to human health. They also noted significant limitations, including the lack of rehabilitation for vitamin D-deficient rats and the focus solely on male rats.
Dr. Bharati Kulkarni, director of ICMR-NIN, acknowledged that while adequate vitamin D may help cardiac cells cope with oxidative stress, the results underscore the need for further investigation in human subjects.
This research is particularly relevant in India, where a report estimates that about one in five Indians may have a vitamin D deficiency. Factors such as limited sunlight exposure, dietary choices, and pollution contribute to this issue, affecting vulnerable groups including children, adolescents, pregnant women, and the elderly.