D-licious

Wednesday, November 5

A recent study in the Archives of Neurology found a link between vitamin D deficiency and Parkinson’s disease. Though many Americans get vitamin D from sunlight, our body’s ability to produce it using UV-B radiation decreases as we get older, and many Parkinson’s patients are have mobility problems, so they’re seldom exposed to the sun. It is, therefore, more vital as we age to make sure we are getting a sufficient amount of vitamin D (aim for 800 to 1,000 international units daily) through foods such as salmon (238 IU per 3 oz), fortified cereals (40 IU per 1 cup) and milk (100IU per 8 oz), and dietary supplements.