The Quirks and Perks of Vitamin D
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Science & Health
The Quirks and Perks of Vitamin D
When vitamin D was first discovered, scientists didn’t quite know how special it was. But more modern research has significantly changed our understanding of the “D.” Since the early 1900s, it has been known that vitamin D protects against the development of soft brittle bones—a condition known as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults—by promoting the absorption of calcium. For similar reasons, vitamin D is also recommended as a safeguard against osteoporosis—particularly women—later in…
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Preventative Health
Prediabetes: A Wakeup Call Before Its Too Late
Nearly a third of American adults have a potentially chronic disease, and nine out of ten of them don’t even know it yet. Eighty-six million American adults have prediabetes, a condition that increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. What is prediabetes? Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that plays a major role in metabolism. During digestion carbohydrates—sugars and starches—are broken down into glucose and then enter the bloodstream.…