Vitamin D For Dummies

Your plain-English guide to the many benefits of Vitamin D Vitamin D is in the news every day, as new tests and studies reveal encouraging information about its power in maintaining good health and preventing major illnesses. No longer thought to just play a role in calcium intake and bone growth, Vitamin D has a host of other functions in the body, playing a role in prevention of serious diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, as well as boosting immunity, improving athletic performance, losing weight, and more. This hands-on, plain-English guide is perfect for anyone looking for helpful advice and information on the "nutrient of the decade." Coverage of how Vitamin D works, and how much is needed for disease prevention How and where to get sufficient amounts of the right kind of Vitamin D – from both your diet and nutritional supplements The best ways to maintain healthy levels of Vitamin D If you're looking to learn more about the many benefits Vitamin D can have on you and your family, you'll find everything you need right here.

Introduction 1 Part I: The Life History of Vitamin D 5 Chapter 1: The Essentials of Vitamin D 7 Chapter 2: Finding Out If You Have Enough Vitamin D 21 Chapter 3: Considering Calcium 43 Part II: Key Roles of Vitamin D 55 Chapter 4: Facilitating Bone Growth and Strength 57 Chapter 5: Protecting the Immune System 79 Chapter 6: Preventing Cancer .99 Chapter 7: Safeguarding Your Heart 123 Chapter 8: Avoiding Diabetes and Related Conditions 137 Chapter 9: Looking at Other Possible Functions of Vitamin D 155 Chapter 10: Furthering Science’s Knowledge of Vitamin D 173 Part III: Getting Enough 179 Chapter 11: Getting Vitamin D from the Sun 181 Chapter 12: Getting Vitamin D from Food 201 Chapter 13: Getting Vitamin D from Supplements 211 Chapter 14: Appreciating Special Needs in Pregnant Women and the Elderly 221 Part IV: The Part of Tens 235 Chapter 15: Ten Myths Regarding Vitamin D 237 Chapter 16: Ten Possible New Functions of Vitamin D 247 Index 255