THURSDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Colon cancer patients with high blood levels of vitamin D boost their survival odds by 48 percent, a new study suggests.

Previous studies have indicated that high levels of vitamin D may reduce the risk of getting colon cancer by 51 percent, although other studies dispute that claim. But until now, no studies have looked at whether vitamin D could improve survival among people who already had the disease.

MONDAY, June 9 (HealthDay News) -- Vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of heart attack in men, says a U.S. study.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, analyzed medical records and blood samples from 454 men, aged 40 to 75, who had a nonfatal heart attack or fatal heart disease, and compared them to 900 men who had no history of cardiovascular disease.

Studies are showing that increasing Vitamin D, either supplements in diet or through sun exposure, may help lower the risk of developing Type 1 diabetes.

Would you give your baby or infant a Vitamin D dietary supplement, or increase their sun exposure (with sunscreen, of course!), in order to decrease their risk of developing diabetes?

Sunlight, Vitamin D May Cut Kids' Diabetes Risk

THURSDAY, June 5 (HealthDay News) -- Adequate sun exposure and vitamin D levels may play an important role in helping to prevent type 1 diabetes in children, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, analyzed type 1 diabetes incidence rates and found that populations living at or near the equator -- where there is abundant sunshine -- have lower rates of the disease than populations at higher latitudes, where there is less sunlight.

TUESDAY, June 3 (HealthDay News) -- At least 40 percent of American infants and toddlers aren't getting enough vitamin D, according to researchers from Children's Hospital in Boston.

Twelve percent of the youngest children in the United States are already deficient in vitamin D, and another 28 percent are at risk for vitamin D deficiency, according to the study, which appears in the June issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

FRIDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Taking activated vitamin D may cut the risk of death for people with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease by about one quarter, a new study suggests.

During a two-year study of more than 1,400 patients, those being treated with calcitriol, an oral form of activated vitamin D, had their overall risk of death lowered by 26 percent when compared with those not on the drug. Those taking calcitriol were also less likely to develop end-stage renal disease, which requires dialysis to replace lost kidney function.

Elderly people with low levels of vitamin D may be at increased risk for depression and other mental health disorders, Dutch researchers say.

Of the 1,282 people, ages 65 to 92, in the study, 26 had major depression and 169 had minor depression. Vitamin D levels were 14 percent lower in those with major or minor depression, Agence France-Presse reported.

The researchers also found that low vitamin D levels were associated with increased levels of a hormone secreted by the parathyroid gland. Overactive parathyroid glands are often linked with depression.

Women with low blood levels of a marker for vitamin D have an increased risk of breast cancer, German researchers say.

Simply stated, osteoporosis is a misbalance between bone construction and destruction, where the building activity of bone is greatly diminished resulting in an overall loss of bone density and ultimately, weaker bones. The bone deteriorating disease is preventable, yet over 44 million Americans, most of which are women, currently suffer from the disease making it a common concern among women of all ages, but particularly those over 50.

We all know to consume calcium for good, strong, healthy bones. Many of us also know that consuming Vitamin D helps our body absorb calcium, which can also promote the development of healthy, strong bones. (Vitamin D can be found in milk, fatty fish, dark leafy vegetables…and sunlight!).