| Have all the warnings about potential risks got you | | | | health hazard for older people. Sufficient amounts |
| hiding from the sun this summer? Rethink the | | | | of the vitamin are believed to boost aging health |
| duck and cover routine. Research shows that the | | | | in many ways, including the following: |
| vitamin D benefits we get from sensible sun | | | | Helps prevent hip and other bone fractures A |
| exposure far outweigh the dangers. | | | | 2009 study by the University of Pittsburgh |
| A growing body of research implicates vitamin D | | | | determined that low levels of the vitamin can |
| deficiency in a host of age-related ailments and | | | | increase post-menopausal women's risk of hip |
| disorders, ranging from bone diseases and | | | | fracture by as much as 70%. One of D vitamin's |
| diabetes to cardiovascular problems, increased risk | | | | primary functions is to regulate the absorption of |
| of many forms of cancer, suppressed immune | | | | calcium, making it crucial to the prevention of |
| function, and even depression. Studies indicate | | | | bone softening diseases such as osteoporosis. |
| that as many as two thirds of US adults and | | | | Protects against cancer The American Journal of |
| teens are actually deficient in this crucial nutrient, | | | | Clinical Nutrition reports that a four-year clinical trial |
| and many experts say the trend to avoiding the | | | | involving 1,179 healthy post-menopausal women |
| sun is making matters worse. | | | | showed that improving calcium and vitamin D |
| Sun exposure is actually the most important | | | | levels substantially reduced risk of all cancers in |
| source of the vitamin, which is often referred to | | | | postmenopausal women. |
| as "the sunshine vitamin" because though dietary | | | | May help prevent and treat depression It is |
| sources of it are limited, the sun's ultraviolet-B | | | | known that the vitamin plays a key role in a |
| rays triggers the body to produce its own supply; | | | | number of neurological and hormonal processes, |
| it's believed that given adequate sun a healthy | | | | and feelings of depression are identified as one of |
| human body can synthesize as much as 90% of | | | | the symptoms of D vitamin deficiency. Research |
| the amount it needs. By avoiding the sun we | | | | indicates that low levels of the vitamin are |
| could be eliminating one risk only to incur many | | | | distinctly related to depression. |
| greater ones. | | | | Boosts energy and improves physical |
| A joint study by U.S. Department of Energy's | | | | performance A recent Wake Forest University |
| Brookhaven National Laboratory and Norway's | | | | School of Medicine study found that physical |
| Institute for Cancer Research in Oslo concluded | | | | performance of people over 65, including walking |
| that the health benefits from some sun exposure | | | | speed, grip strength, and ability to rise from a |
| are far larger than the skin cancer risk. As little as | | | | sitting position to standing, was 10 percent lower |
| 20 minutes of sun exposure to the face and | | | | among participants with deficient blood levels of |
| hands daily can trigger the synthesis of the | | | | the vitamin. |
| vitamin, and exposure that limited is highly unlikely | | | | May help prevent autoimmune diseases Research |
| to result in the development of skin cancer or | | | | has shown unmistakable associations between |
| premature aging. | | | | deficiencies of the vitamin and autoimmune |
| A combination of sun-limiting lifestyle and a natural | | | | diseases including multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and |
| decrease in the aging body's ability to synthesize | | | | rheumatoid arthritis. |
| the vitamin make D vitamin deficiency a major | | | | |