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Vitamin D is best-known for the key role it plays in bone health, but evidence of its many other benefits continues to accumulate. In the past six months, higher vitamin D levels have been linked with a reduced risk of fracture, lower susceptibility to colds and flu, better brain function, and a lower percentage of body fat in women.
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"The number one thing vitamin D does is help prevent osteoporosis and other metabolic bone diseases. It also plays a role in preventing cancer and many long-term chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes," says Andrew Martorella, MD, clinical assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. "There are vitamin D receptors all over the...
