clipped from: eating.health.com   

You may already know that vitamin D can help build strong teeth and bones, but wait until you hear what else it can do for the rest of your body. D can keep you trim, boost your mood, ward off sniffles, drastically cut your risk of cancer, and more.


“We could prevent 150,000 cases of cancer annually if we could just increase vitamin D to optimal levels,”

A startling report found that more than a third of all women fail to get enough D for healthy bones—and more than 75% of us lack the higher amounts needed for the vitamin to do its disease-fighting best.

the most significant source is sunlight, and that’s where the trouble lies. Our bodies produce D with exposure to ultraviolet radiation, but as we’ve gotten smarter about dodging skin cancer—staying out of the sun and slathering ourselves with mega-SPF sunblock—our vitamin D levels have plummeted.

Vitamin D may substantially cut the risk of breast, colon, prostate, and ovarian cancers, according to a growing body of research.