Parkinson's Linked to Lack of Vitamin D

New research has strongly linked Parkinson's disease to a lack of vitamin D in the body, the BBC reports. Studies found that 55% of elderly patients with Parkinson's had low levels of the vitamin, compared to 36% of healthy elderly people. Researchers are unsure whether the deficiency is a cause or effect of the disease.

Although fish and cereals contain trace amounts of vitamin D, humans get their biggest dose from sunlight. The body’s ability to make the vitamin slows down with age, however—a problem compounded by the fact that Parkinson’s can make it difficult to spend a lot of time outdoors. Parkinson's patients will now be given vitamin D supplements.
(More Parkinson's disease stories.)