If youre not getting enough Vitamin D, you might be at higher risk for a number of serious diseases.
Researchers at Oxford University studied the interaction of Vitamin D with human DNA and found that Vitamin D has a significant effect on on the activity of 229 genes, including genes that have been associated with multiple sclerosis, lupus, Crohns disease and Type 1 diabetes, as well as chronic lymphocytic leukemia and colorectal cancer.
About one billion people worldwide have a Vitamin D deficiency. Physicians and scientists have long known that a D deficiency causes rickets, a childhood condition of soft bones that can result in fractures or deformity. But the current study shows that the vitamin or lack of it has a surprisingly big influence throughout our bodies.
"Our study shows quite dramatically the wide-ranging influence that vitamin D exerts over our health," said Dr. Andreas Hegger, one of the lead researchers, according to ScienceDaily.com.
The main source of Vitamin D is sunlight; although its not found very widely in foods, its in tuna fish, mackerel and salmon as well as fortified foods like yogurt, ready-to-eat cereal and orange juice. Vitamin D is also available in supplements; the recommended dosage for men and women 51 to 70 is 400 IU.
