D Deficient? Don't Be.

Vitamin D. Who thinks of it?

Turns out, we all should. AARP magazine reports that as many as 75 percent of Americans may not be getting enough vitamin D, according to the Archives of Internal Medicine. And if you think it's just good for your bones, think again: Vitamin D is the dark horse in the race to keep disease away as it is proving to help prevent cancer and heart disease  as well as hip fractures, tooth loss and it can significantly increase muscle strength.

All these years we've been told to stay out of the sun for fear of skin cancer and premature aging. Turns out the "sunshine vitamin," as D is called, is produced in our bodies when we are exposed to the sun — without sunscreen, which explains why there's been a decline in the average blood levels of the vitamin over the past decade, since we've all been covering up. Just 10 minutes a day is all you need, but if don't get that because of your sun fears, or the hours you keep, you can safely take a vitamin D supplement of 1000-IUs a day.

You can also try to take in some D-rich foods — like 150 egg yolks, or 3 3/4 pounds of salmon — but with those numbers, the sun or a supplement is still your best bet.

However you get it in you, don't undervalue what D can do for you.

[via AARP]

Photo courtesy of Anandin@sxc.hu