According to a new study Vitamin D May be a life extender. Researchers who pooled the results of 18 seperate experiments reported that people who were given a Vitamin D supplement had a 7 percent lower risk of premature dealth.

Earlier research has show that Vitamin D deficiencies are associated with higher risk of contracting major illnesses such as cancer, which account for 60 to 70 percent of dealth. The study speculates that the vitamin, which is used in organs and tissues throughout the body, may cut death rates by inhibiting the proliferation of cancerous cells.

Vitamin D is also known as the sunshine vitamin, because it is produced in naked skin that is exposed to strong sunlight. Sunshine is a significant source of vitamin D because UV rays from sunlight trigger vitamin D synthesis in the skin. The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. By promoting calcium absorption, vitamin D helps to form and maintain strong bones. Many medical experts believe people living in northern countries have a chronic deficiency of the vitamin in winter, when the weak sunlight does not lead to creation of the nutrient in skin.

Although most of the Vitamin D people have is made in their skin, it is also available in supplements or some foods. Some multivitamins contain between 400 and 600 international units of Vitamin D. Foods such as oily fish like salmon and dsrdines are a natural source of the vitamin. Milk is commonly fortified with 100IU per cup.

Other recent studies link Vitamin D deficiency to a greater risk of other ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, unexplained muscle and joint pain, and various forms of cancer. As with MS and other autoimmune diseases, the secret may be in how this nutrient affects cell activity.

If you do not get enough sunlight or Vitamin D in your foods you should consider taking a Vitamin D supplement.

Steven Johnson is interested in maintaining a vital, active, and healthy lifestyle. For more information and VitaminD products, along with other life-enhancing nutrients, please visit his website Alternative Health Supplements.