MONDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Low levels of vitamin D can boost older women's risk for hip fracture by more than 70 percent, University of Pittsburgh researchers report.

The finding adds weight to the recommendation that people maintain adequate intake of vitamin D, which is primarily made by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight.

So not only is vitamin D touted as a way to ward off death just a little bit longer, but according to a new study from the Institute of Child Health in London, it may now help with chronic pain.

What’s more intriguing for women is that the link in low vitamin D and chronic pain doesn’t apply to men, suggesting hormones may be involved.

Vitamin D, which is essential for healthy bones, is produced in the body when exposed to sunlight and is also found in egg yolks, oilier fish and margarine. Apparently if you don’t get enough, you may be more susceptible to chronic pain.

MONDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Inadequate vitamin D could increase your risk of death by 26 percent, a new study concludes.

Yet many people are not getting enough vitamin D, which the skin makes naturally when exposed to sunlight. A nationwide survey found that 41 percent of men and 53 percent of women in the United States were not getting enough of this vital nutrient.

(HealthDay News) -- Osteoporosis -- caused when the body can't replace bone calcium as fast as it is lost -- is common as people age, particularly among women.

More than 1.5 million Americans each year sustain a bone fracture related to osteoporosis.

Here are common risk factors for osteoporosis, courtesy of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

* Getting older.
* Not doing enough weight-bearing exercises.
* Insufficient estrogen levels after menopause.
* Not getting enough calcium or vitamin D in your diet.
* Certain hormonal imbalances.

The sunshine vitamin seems to do more than help build strong bones. A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that men with low vitamin D were at a higher risk for heart attacks.

Apparently, other studies also show that low vitamin d is linked with cancers of the breast, ovary, prostate, stomach, bladder, esophagus, kidney and lung. If you don’t get enough vitamin D, you may also be at risk for high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, periodontal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, macular degeneration, mental illness and chronic pain. (Source: WSJ)

CHICAGO - New research linking low vitamin D levels with deaths from heart disease and other causes bolsters mounting evidence about the "sunshine" vitamin's role in good health.

Patients with the lowest blood levels of vitamin D were about two times more likely to die from any cause during the next eight years than those with the highest levels, the study found. The link with heart-related deaths was particularly strong in those with low vitamin D levels.

I know calcium is vital to women's health but I'm a bit confused as to what kind of calcium suppliment I should take, since there are different kinds. There is "chelated calcium" and "elemental calcium" and others....and I have heard mentioned that if you don't take it with Vitamin D that it's not as good or as well absorbed.

I eat veggies like brocoli and take dairy like yogurts, as well as other calcium rich foods but feel I could do with a suppliment too especially as I am not much of a milk drinker.