VITAMIN D UPDATE: “Vitamin D tests conducted on a group of University of Toronto students have found that virtually all non-whites had insufficient levels of the sunshine vitamin, putting them at elevated risk of debilitating diseases such as osteoporosis, cancer and diabetes. . . . Vitamin D insufficiency used to be thought of as a problem causing only rickets, but in recent years, researchers have found that low levels of the nutrient are linked to a disparate range of diseases and health problems, including many types of cancer, osteoporosis, mult-iple sclerosis, diabetes and susceptibility to tuberculosis and influenza.” And many of the whites had low levels, too. Sun isn’t all bad, you know.

And it’s not just Canada — we see low levels in the United States, too:

Recent research shows up to 50 percent of kids and adults in the United States are at high risk for vitamin D deficiency. It’s not to be taken lightly — a lack of vitamin D has been linked to a whole host of diseases. And research continues to show it has a significant effect on cancer.

We’re even seeing a resurgence in rickets as people keep their kids indoors or slather them with sunscreen. And Vitamin D may even slow aging:

A King’s College London study of more than 2,000 women found those with higher vitamin D levels showed fewer ageing-related changes in their DNA. . . . They found that, after adjusting the results for the age of the volunteer, women with higher levels of vitamin D were more likely to have longer telomeres in these cells, and vice versa.

That’s good, if it’s true. Meanwhile, don’t hide from the sun. You only need 10-15 minutes a day, but it’s important to get that.