(UT Southwestern Medical Center) Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to depression, according to UT Southwestern Medical Center psychiatrists working with the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study. It is believed to be the largest such investigation ever undertaken.

(American Society for Microbiology) The following are tips from the journals of the American Society for Microbiology: “Could This Bacterial Predator Be Harnessed To Mop Up Biofilms?”; “Cholesterol Boosts Antibiotic Resistance in H. pylori”; “Nitrogen-Fixing Bacterial Symbiont Promises Trove of Natural Products”; and “More Evidence Vitamin D Boosts Immune Response.”

(Wayne State University – Office of the Vice President for Research) Researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit are working to determine how vitamin D affects cardiac structure and function, and vascular function in blacks with hypertension. The research could identify vitamin D as a safe, effective and inexpensive therapy to stop, and even reverse, cardiac ravages caused by high blood pressure.

Vitamin D is found in numerous dietary sources such as fish, eggs, fortified milk, and cod liver oil. The sun is also a significant contributor to our daily production of vitamin D, and as little as 10 minutes of exposure is thought to be enough to prevent deficiencies. The term “vitamin D” refers to several different forms of this vitamin. Two forms are important in humans: ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). Vitamin D2 is synthesized by plants. Vitamin D3 is synthesized by humans in the skin when it is exposed to ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays from sunlight or the diet.

The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. Recently, research also suggests vitamin D may provide protection from osteoporosis, hypertension, cancer, and several autoimmune diseases.

Rickets and osteomalacia are classic vitamin D deficiency diseases. In children, vitamin D deficiency causes rickets, which results in skeletal deformities. In adults, vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteomalacia, which results in muscular weakness in addition to weak bones. People who are at a high risk for vitamin D deficiencies are the elderly, dark skinned, obese, exclusively breast-fed infants, and those who cover all exposed skin or use sunscreen whenever outside. Also, those who have fat malabsorption syndromes (e.g., cystic fibrosis) or inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn’s disease) are at risk.