supernutrient of the year

I didn’t think they had an award for this. Actually, they don’t. But those in the know are hailing vitamin D as THE vitamin for 2008, so roll out the red carpet.

Dr Clive Spray, biochemist and nutrition research scientist at Mayor Labs, explains that many expect the US government to change the recommended intake for vitamin D as many suffer from deficiency of the vitamin throughout the world. “Good intake of vitamin D can reduce both hip fractures and other non-vertebral fractures” explains Dr Spray.

There’s more: the vitamin can improve leg weakness and lower extremity strength and has been shown to reduce risk of certain cancers (which ones he doesn’t say).

I’m not sure a tablet is needed in this case, though: good sources of vitamin D are found in some of the foods we eat, such as oily fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel, as well as eggs.

And most importantly, we get it from sunlight! It’s actually one of the best sources of the nutrient. (Just don’t forget the sunscreen).