Called the "sunshine vitamin" because our bodies naturally make it when our skin is exposed to direct sunlight, Vitamin D performs several vital functions. It aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones, and research also suggests it may provide protection from osteoporosis, high blood pressure, cancer and several autoimmune diseases, as well as aiding in the prevention and treatment of depression. But more than a third of all women fail to get enough Vitamin D for healthy bones—and more than 75 percent lack the higher amounts needed for the vitamin to do its disease-fighting best. Vitamin D deficiency isn't a women-only issue, either.
The rate of Vitamin D deficiency is even greater at northern latitudes, especially in the winter, when it is all but impossible to get adequate sun exposure to absorb sufficient amounts of the vitamin. Other factors contributing to the growing problem of Vitamin D deficiency are our indoor lifestyles (sun exposure must be direct, not through a window) and sunscreen use, which blocks the UV rays necessary to make the vitamin.
Here are a few links to get you started on the Vitamin D path:
• Is vitamin D deficiency casting a cloud over your health?: http://www.womentowomen.com/healthynutrition/vitamind.aspx
• WebMD Feature - Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/are-you-getting-enough-vitamin-d
• Mayo Clinic Health Information: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-d/NS_patient-vitamind