Vitamin D and Children

I've been following the debates on vitamin D for some time now. Today's Globe has this story about a study on the health risks in children who are deficient in vitamin D. Here is a sample:

The first Canadian study to investigate vitamin D levels in toddlers has found that more than 80 per cent of the children tested didn't have enough of the sunshine vitamin and nearly a third had such low amounts that doctors classified them as deficient.

...."Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a number of chronic medical conditions," observed Jonathon Maguire, a researcher at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children and lead author of the study, who called the results "concerning."


....There has been a flurry of medical interest in vitamin D because of tantalizing hints that it plays a far wider role in promoting good health than just helping ensure proper bone development, for which it is well known. New research has linked deficiencies to many cancers, heart disease, to such autoimmune conditions as MS and diabetes and even influenza.

Cheers,
Colin