Vitamin D has traditionally been thought of as important because it lowers the risk of problems with bone strength in adulthood, decreasing the risk of fractures, osteoporosis, etc.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Vitamin D has been associated with lower rates of certain cancers, dementia, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, infectious diseases, and even autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.

In a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, people with the lowest vitamin D levels were twice as likely to die over the nearly eight-year study compared to those with the highest levels of vitamin D.

At a recent meeting of the American Heart Association, material was presented that linked low vitamin D levels with a number of the components of the metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance syndrome) including higher weight, higher triglycerides, lower good (HDL) cholesterol, and higher blood sugars.

Getting your vitamin D is important, your doctor can run a simple blood test to see what your vitamin D level is. Based on Dr. Steve’s experience with his patients, he believes a vitamin D supplement is helpful for most everyone.