Vitamin D: How Much Is Enough?

Vitamin D—also known as the sunshine vitamin because our bodies naturally produce it after exposure to the sun—is essential for calcium absorption, strong bones, and other aspects of health. Observational studies have found that adequate levels of vitamin D correlate with less likelihood of high blood pressure; atherosclerosis; type 1 and type 2 diabetes; and colon, prostate, and breast cancers.

Vitamin D also