WASHINGTON, D.C.: These days you can’t read a health magazine or go to the doctor without learning about the importance of vitamin D – a nutrient activated in the skin by the sun-and the harms of a deficiency.
While the vitamin is a buzzword right now, there isn’t really a consensus on the role it has on health. Some studies have not been conclusive, while others tout the powers of vitamin D, from possibly reducing the risk of dementia to preventing cancer.
Getting tested for vitamin D deficiency is not routine. In a recommendation, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force said current evidence isn’t sufficient enough to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for vitamin D deficiency in adults who don’t have symptoms of a problem.
Nonetheless, doctors agree that vitamin D is essential, but more research is needed….