After my recent physical, my doctor told me I had a vitamin D deficiency and instructed me to start taking supplements. Ever the sceptic, I did a little research before following her advice, and I was surprised to learn that vitamin D is absolutely essential to good health and, in some cases, it is life-saving. Consider three important facts.

1.  Vitamin D fights disease:

• By decreasing the risk of heart disease, according to findings in Circulation.
• By reducing the risk of developing the flu, according to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  
• By lowering the risk of multiple sclerosis, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
• By lowering blood pressure, according to research published by Joe Cannon in Supplement Clarity.

2.  Vitamin D improves mental health:

• By regulating mood and warding off depression, according to a study in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

3.  Vitamin D boosts weight loss: 

• By suppressing appetite, according to a study in the British Journal of Nutrition.
• By boosting the effectiveness of a lower calorie diet, according to the WEBMD Archives.

And one last piece of good news about Vitamin D: it does not matter how you take it. You can take Vitamin D on an empty stomach, with food, from the sun, in oil, or as a powder.  The main concern is to get enough to reach levels of 50-60 ng/ml and reap amazing health benefits!