This is a very important question since most Americans in the Northern Hemisphere are very deficient in this nutrient. A plethora of recent research shows that Vitamin D is not only used to maintain strong bones, but to also help decrease certain forms of cancer (colon, breast and prostate) and help to increase the immune system especially lowering the incidence viral infections such as colds and flu. Another study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that those with the lowest vitamin D levels have more than double the risk of dying from heart disease and other causes over an eight-year period compared with those with the highest D levels.

The best way to get vitamin D levels is to head out into the sun for 10 minutes without sunscreen, this will allow the body to produce 10,000 I.u of this nutrient each session. If you can not be in the sun, supplementation with this nutrient is very important. Most recommendations are for 2000 I.u as a maintenance dose and higher levels under the care of a health provider for those who are very deficient.