Women who are running low on vitamin D may be at greater risk of developing high blood pressure years down the road, according to research presented at an American Heart Association conference in September.

Researchers took blood samples from a group of 559 white women - with an average age of about 38 - then measured their blood pressure annually. Fifteen years later, women who were deficient in vitamin D had three times the risk of systolic high blood pressure (your systolic pressure is the first number in your blood pressure reading).

According to the AHA, many women have too little vitamin D. Your body makes the vitamin when you're exposed to sunlight, and it's found in certain foods such as fatty fish and fortified milk … but many women don't get enough of any of these in their lives. The vitamin is also available in supplement form.

The possible link to blood pressure is one of many ways that vitamin D is associated with your health. The vitamin is important for maintaining strong bones. Women who get too little may also be at risk of poor immune function and inflammatory diseases. The current recommended intake is 400 to 600 IU daily, but some experts suggest twice this amount or more. The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends 400 to 800 IU daily for adults under the age of 50, and 800 to 1,000 for those 50 and older.

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