Sunscreen-Slathered Americans Lack Vitamin D

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»

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»

Vitamin D affects 229 disease-linked genes

(NEWSER) - A lack of sunshine makes people more likely to contract diseases including arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes, and some cancers, according to scientists exploring the genetic link between disease and low levels of vitamin D. Genetic researchers found that the vitamin—which the body makes when the skin is exposed to sunlight—affects 229 genes related to autoimmune diseases, the Guardian reports. 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»

Well-heeled kids take them, poor need them

(NEWSER) - Vitamin supplements can combat kids' dietary deficiencies, but tend to be taken by those who least need them, reports Time. A five-year study found that a third of US children take supplements—but those kids are much more likely to be white, with higher incomes, healthier diets, and better health insurance than children who don't take them. More»