Parkinson's Linked to Lack of Vitamin D

(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»

New study ties nutrient in milk, tuna, salmon to 60% decrease

(NEWSER) - The first research linking vitamin D directly to cancer prevention shows the nutrient sharply reduces cancer rates in older women. Only 3% of the 1,179 women monitored while taking a combination of vitamin D and calcium developed cancer over 4 years, a 60% lower rate than those given placebos, according to the breakthrough American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study. More»

Threat heightened even after men quit supplement, says study

(NEWSER) - Supplements we take for better health may actually be hurting us. Yesterday we learned that vitamins may carry an increased risk of death for women ; today's culprit is vitamin E, which may heighten the risk of prostate cancer. A study found that men who took the popular supplements faced a higher cancer risk even after ditching them, USA Today reports. Researchers studied a group of 35,000 men 50 and older. More»

Supplement sales have grown, but experts say they're not necessary

(NEWSER) - Doctors have been recommending vitamin D and calcium supplements for years. But it turns out, for most people, neither supplement is needed—and too much vitamin D could actually be harmful. A committee of experts determined that most people have enough vitamin D from their diets, sunshine, and other natural sources. Says one member and bone metabolism doctor, “The onus is on the people who propose extra calcium and vitamin D to show it is safe before they push it on people.” More»

New study will try to get to the bottom of latest health craze

(NEWSER) - Doctors and health nuts have been gulping down vitamin D supplements lately, but there’s precious little science suggesting that they do anything. Conventional wisdom holds that vitamin D, which most people get through milk and exposure to sunlight, strengthens your bones and immune systems, while lowering the risk for serious diseases. But there’s not much clinical data to support those claims, the New York Times reports. More»