Our skin transforms ultraviolet light from the sun into vitamin D, and vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium.
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to rickets, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and a new study adds cancer and autoimmune disease to the list.
Published in the journal Genome Research, experts mapped out more than 200 genes directly influenced by vitamin D and found vitamin D deficiency is linked to autoimmune diseases like type-1 diabetes and Crohn’s disease, and cancers such as leukemia and colon cancer.
The researchers say vitamin D is essential in triggering the immune system’s T cells, which fight infections in the body. So a vitamin D deficiency leaves the body more vulnerable to sickness and disease.
While the optimal dose of vitamin D is still unclear, the scientists recommend people get at least 25 to 50 micrograms each day.
Food sources of vitamin D include fatty fish – like salmon, mackerel, sardines, and tuna – eggs, liver, mushrooms, and foods fortified with vitamins and minerals, such as milk, yogurt, bread, margarine, and some breakfast cereal.
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