Disease de jour: vitamin D deficiency

For every month, there is a disease, and in February, it’s vitamin D deficiency. (It’s also Heart Health Month and I’m sure I’ve neglected to mention a slew of others.)

If you haven’t heard, vitamin D — or the lack thereof — is a hot health topic. The McClean, Virg.-based UV Foundation says that people in states above the 37th parallel (read sun-starved) are increasingly susceptible to the affliction.

The Foundation recently targeted a news release to media outlets in the state of Washington, including this newspaper. We didn’t tell them that, despite the winter inversion doldrums of late, Central Washington still gets more than 300 days of sunshine annually.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to increasing the risk of heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, rickets and many types of cancer. It’s also the suspected culprit behind winter-time complaints, including fatigue, depression and aches and pains.

- Leah Beth Ward

Want to reach Leah Beth Ward?
E-mail her: lward@yakimaherald.com