When exposed to sunlight our skin produces vitamin D, mainly the form called D3. It’s important for bones. Deficiency can cause rickets (deformed bone growth) in children and osteoporosis (bone fracture) in adults, among many other health problems.
Not many foods contain vitamin D naturally. Milk or products made from cereals often are fortified with vitamin D. Among natural food, egg yolk, fish or cod liver oil contain vitamin D.
New research finds that vitamin D can be used to prevent or in therapy, against prostate cancer. Report published on foodconsumer.org with reference to a publication in the International Journal of Cancer says that Vitamin D acts on a certain gene and increases the production of specific enzyme that is known to clear cells of reactive oxygen species (that includes oxygen ions, peroxides, free radicals) that can damage DNA, leading to cancer development.
Other studies found deficiency of vitamin D in women with breast cancer.
Daily allowance of 1000 IU of vitamin D supplement is recommended by the Canadian Cancer Society.
Read More: foodconsumer.org, xinhuanet.com