Almighty D

Last Fall, in a routine annual blood test, it was discovered that my vitamin D levels were very low. I was surprised by this because I get a lot of sun exposure and eat most of the foods that contain D. Vitamin D deficiency is a good thing to catch. Why? Because it's easy to remedy and because vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk for terrible life-threatening diseases -- ones I'd like to avoid such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Here's a sampling of recent research news about the Almighty D:

Vitamin D May Help Keep Aging at Bay - "High levels of vitamin D might help keep the brain healthy as people age, new research suggests. "

New Model Of Cancer Development: Low Vitamin D Levels May Have Role - "... diet and supplements can restore appropriate vitamin D levels, and perhaps help in preventing cancer development."

Can Vitamin D Save Your Life? - "With all of these studies demonstrating the protective effects of vitamin D on health, a question arises. If increasing your vitamin D intake can reduce your risk for these serious chronic illnesses, can it also reduce your risk of dying?"

Vitamin D Deficiency Linked With Depression - "Linking vitamin D deficiency and depression makes a certain intuitive sense to me. Vitamin D is produced in your body when your skin is exposed to light. During winter, many people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) because of lack of exposure to sunlight."

With research about the positive aspects of vitamin D published on a seemingly daily basis, seems a good idea to get your vitamin D level checked at your next annual exam. Could end up being one of the most helpful things you do for your overall health in addition to getting to and maintaining a healthy weight.

~♥~