Docs Double Daily Dose of D

South Beach Diet guru shares his secrets

(NEWSER) - Arthur Agatston, the cardiologist who cooked up the South Beach Diet, takes no medications and embraces a philosophy of moderation—he's not starving himself or downing dozens of vitamins. He clues Prevention magazine in on his advice for keeping your heart in tip-top shape:

• Eat four times a day: Three meals plus a snack—"a mozzarella stick, fruit, wasabi-coated soy nuts, other nuts, or a high-fiber bar"—but not much starch.

(NEWSER) - Too much time inside has left millions of American kids with shockingly low levels of Vitamin D, two new studies conclude. Roughly 9% of all 1- to 21-year-olds—7.6 million—were found to be Vitamin D deficient—putting them at higher risk for bone problems, heart disease, diabetes, and other ailments—while another 61% have levels deemed insufficient. “It’s astounding,” says one researcher. “At first we couldn’t believe the numbers.” More»

(NEWSER) - Vitamin D is "one hot topic" among nutritionists, the Los Angeles Times reports, and it's about to get hotter. More than 2,000 studies on the so-called sunshine vitamin have been published this year alone, exploring its role in everything from reducing the risk of pancreatic cancer and diabetes to boosting memory and weight control. Amid the research surge, an Institute of Medicine committee meets next week to discuss raising the recommended daily intake of the vitamin. More»

Those lacking 'sunshine vitamin' likely to die earlier of myriad causes

(NEWSER) - People with low levels of vitamin D are more likely to die earlier from a variety of causes than people with normal levels of the so-called "Sunshine Vitamin," according to a new study. The study is the latest to underscore the health benefits of vitamin D—and points to nearly twice the risk of early death from any cause, as well as from heart-related problems. More»

Vitamin D level is key, researchers say

(NEWSER) - Plenty of sunshine could be one key to heart health, according to a new study. Research has linked low levels of vitamin D—the "sunshine vitamin"—to an increased risk of heart attacks, reports Web MD. Men with low levels of vitamin D ran twice the risk of having a heart attack, according to the study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. More»