At a time of increasing concern about low vitamin D levels in
the world's population and increased use of blood tests for the
vitamin, scientists are reporting development of a much-needed
reference material to assure that measurements of vitamin D
levels are accurate. The report appears in ACS' journal
Analytical Chemistry. Karen Phinney and colleagues explain that
medical research suggests vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency
may be even more common than previously thought and a risk
factor for more than just bone diseases. An estimated 50-75
percent of people in the U.S. may not have enough vitamin D in
their bodies. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to the
development of several conditions, including rickets (soft and
deformed bones), osteoporosis, some cancers, multiple sclerosis
and Parkinson's disease. People can make their own vitamin D
simply by rolling up their shirt sleeves and exposing their skin
to sunlight. But for those cooped up in offices all day long,
food and dietary supplements als