In some recent animal studies vitamin D has strikingly reduced cancerous tumor growth. In addition, a large number of observational studies in people have linked low vitamin D consumption to an increase risk of cancer. The type of cancers linked are numerous: breast, rectum, esophagus, stomach, bladder, ovaries, prostate, kidney, uterus and lung; a substantial list of cancers to say the least.

Researchers at Creighton University in Omaha conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial, the most reliable form of clinical information obtained. Among 1,179 community-living, healthy, post-menopausal women, they reported last year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that over the course of four years, those that took calcium and 1,100 International Units of vitamin D-3 developed roughly 80% fewer cancers than those that just took calcium or a placebo. What an extraordinary endorsement for the benefits of vitamin D!

Vitamin D is quickly becoming the powerhouse nutrient and for good reason. Vitamin D has significant benefits and with the latest findings we are discovering that the current RDA for vitamin D might be dramatically low. Currently the RDA for vitamin D is 400 I.U. Probably over the next few years, as the information uncovered by these types of studies is finalized and the information gets processed by the FDA, you will see a dramatic increase in the RDA for vitamin D.

Vitamin D is not just beneficial in reducing the risk of cancer. Vitamin D has many significant responsibilities in the body. These include...

*Maintaining Your Calcium Balance

*Immune Boosting

*Plays a role in Insulin Secretion

*Regulates Blood Pressure

*Disease Prevention

Many of you may know that vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin as opposed to a water-soluble vitamin like vitamin C for instance. The danger with fat-soluble vitamins is that it is possible to overdose and develop vitamin-toxicity. Healthy people rarely get vitamin D toxicity. One should not be concerned about this unless they are taking extremely high amounts consistently, such as 7,000 - 10,000 I.U.s. Also, don't worry about getting vitmain D toxicity due to overexposure of sunlight as this is very uncommon.

It is very difficult to get all the nutrients we need from the food we eat. Vitamin D is no exception and there are a wide range of vitamin D supplements in the marketplace. We strongly recommend getting your vitamin D in a non-synthetic vitamin D3 form and definitely take it with calcium in the proper ratios.

Vitamin D is tough to get from food especially for vegetarians. Here is a list of foods that are a natural source of vitamin D...

*Herring

*Catfish

*Salmon

*Mackerel

*Sardines

*Tuna

*Eel

...and the one natural source not found in water...

*Mushrooms

The more research being done on vitamin D, the more we are understanding its overall importance to our health.