A "Live Longer" Supernutrient

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Do you get enough vitamin D? I try to get some sun (but not too much; don't want to get skin cancer!), usually by taking walks or riding my bike to the gym, and also take a calcium supplement that has vitamin D in it.

Here is a little bit of info on vitamin D from one of my favorite websites for healthy living, Realage.

Be it sweater or swimsuit season, a daily dose of the "sunshine vitamin" may significantly shrink your risk of disease and death.

And although the stuff naturally occurs in your skin when exposed to the sun, you should faithfully pop a vitamin D supplement as well, because you need more D than Mother Nature -- or your diet -- can probably provide.

A Vital Vitamin
Vitamin D may be particularly helpful in thwarting cancer and arterial diseases. Why? It’s not entirely clear yet. But these conditions rely on cell proliferation to do their damage, and vitamin D may help slow down that process.

Making D Work for You
So how can you tap into the sunshine vitamin’s benefits? A bit of safe sun and some D-rich foods will boost your blood levels -- but only so much. To gain the life-extending effects researchers recently identified, you’ll need a daily supplement, too. Either form you find at your drugstore, vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) or vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), will do the trick.

Vitamin D
Benefits:
Vitamin D works with calcium to strengthen your bones. It aids in calcium absorption, so take your D when you take your calcium. Vitamin D also may help prevent osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, and may reduce your risk of certain types of cancers.

RealAge Optimum:
There are two ways to get vitamin D--from your food and from sunlight. The safest way is to get an adequate amount from food and supplements. Take 400 IU per day as a supplement if you’re under age 70, and take 600 IU per day as a supplement if you’re over age 70.

Getting 400 IU of vitamin D and 1,200 mg of calcium per day can make your RealAge as much as 1.3 years younger.

Good Sources:
Atlantic mackerel, 112 grams (about 3 ounces)
400 IU
Evaporated milk, 1 quart
100 IU
Milk, low-fat, fortified, 1 cup (not milk products)
100 IU*
Margarine (not recommended), 1 tablespoon
60 IU
Atlantic cod, 115 grams (about 3 ounces)
50 IU
Granola, 1/4 cup
50 IU
Raisin bran, 1/2 cup
50 IU
Corn flakes, 1 cup
40 IU
Eggs, one large
26 IU
* The dairy, not the cow, adds vitamin D to milk; thus, milk products such as cheese usually do not have much vitamin D. Soy milk often has the same amount of vitamin D added to it. Check the label.