Vitamin D Deficiency

Moral of the story: There is rising awareness that tons of people are vitamin D deficient.  This is BAD.  Get some sun (just a bit every day) and drink your milk (skim to keep your arteries healthy).  If you are very deficient your doctor can give your prescription supplements.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 8/4/2010

Large part of US population may be deficient in vitamin D.

Writing in the New York Times (7/27, D7) "Personal Health" column, Jane E. Brody reports that "a huge part of the population" may be deficient in vitamin D. Notably, "every tissue in the body, including the brain, heart, muscles and immune system, has receptors for vitamin D, meaning that this nutrient is needed at proper levels for these tissues to function well." Current research suggests that "the effects of a vitamin D deficiency include an elevated risk of developing (and dying from) cancers of the colon, breast and prostate; high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease; osteoarthritis; and immune-system abnormalities that can result in infections and autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis."