However, recent studies indicate that this vitamin has a number of other functions in the body. It is important for absorption of calcium and regulation of its level in the bloodstream. It is also thought to play an important role in the differentiation, or maturation, of a variety of cells in the body. There is research suggestive of a preventive role of vitamin D in colon and breast cancer. Don't forget there is convincing evidence that too much sun causes skin cancer.
Vitamin D is unique because it is both a vitamin and a hormone.
Besides the well known effects on improving calcium absorption, vitamin D affects immune cells, the skin and other tissues. Now when nutrition news gets confusing, there IS a place to go to get the real story. Our FREE daily email newsletter, Nutrition News Focus, helps you make sense of it all. It's written by Dr. David Klurfeld, Chairman and Professor of the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at Wayne State University. Find out what our readers are saying about us by clicking here.