For those of you with a touch of gray hair, you will remember when Vitamin C burst on the public scene as a far more important player than was previously thought...well today it seems like Vitamin D is the nutrient du jour. Long appreciated for bone growth and the avoidance of Ricketts, Vitamin D has been viewed as a nutrient-helper rather than an important substance in its own right. At the same time, as its importance is being recognized more broadly, access to it due to lifestyle consideration is waning--particularly among Boomers. When we go outside in the sun, we lather up with sunscreen with SPF levels through the roof and, lo and behold, we don't get a single unit of Vitamin D penetrating the lotion lock-out. Other than in a latte here or there, not that many in my age cohort are prone to knock back a tall glass of milk--as helpful as that would be to get the levels needed--that glass would need to be about a quart!
The effects of Vitamin D go way beyond the skeletal benefits. Infection resistance, cancer inhibition and cardiovascular benefits are all now associated with Vitamin D intake. Inexpensive, easy, non-toxic and widely beneficial---sounds like something we oughta do.