Exposure to Sun May Help Ward Off Arthritis

For the last 80 years, scientists have focused on the link between vitamin D and calcium—the vitamin is necessary for calcium absorption and its deficiency leads to rickets. But this is just the visible tip of the iceberg. Beyond calcium absorption, vitamin D plays a role in cell-cycle and immune ...

With study after study touting the potential benefits of vitamin D—including the possibility it may stave off some cancers—requests for tests to check patients' blood levels have soared in the last year, leaving some medical labs scrambling to meet demand. LifeLabs, which provides a broad range of medical testing in ...

With summer's full-strength sun overhead, people are slathering on sunscreen and ducking indoors for protection - as they should be, most dermatologists would say.But at least one doctor says to let in the sunshine.Spending about 15 minutes unprotected in the sun two to three times a week, while taking a ...

New research shows that patients with the lowest blood levels of vitamin D were about two times more likely to die from any cause during the eight years following the initial testing than those with the highest levels. The link with heart-related deaths was particularly strong in those with low ...

Patients diagnosed with colon cancer who had abundant vitamin D in their blood were less likely to die during a follow-up period than those who were deficient in the vitamin, according to a new study by scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In a report in the June 20 issue of ...