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For the fifth year in a row, November 2nd is Vitamin D Day. The day is dedicated to spreading awareness on vitamin D and vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D deficiency is a world problem. Organizers are calling for the public to recognize the day and help spread awareness on the issue.

Many people in the 21^st century don’t get enough vitamin D. Scientists and doctors agree that at least one-third of the world is deficient in vitamin D, and some think even more of the world is not getting enough.

“Vitamin D supplements and safe sensible sun exposure are the most important things you can do for your health. The current medical literature on vitamin D continues to increase and studies are showing a positive effect,” says Dr. John Cannell, MD, Executive Director of the Vitamin D Council.

We get vitamin D from sun exposure. When we expose our skin to the sun, our skin makes the vitamin D our bodies need.

Now, more than ever, the world’s population lives an indoor lifestyle, avoiding the sun. In consequence, a high portion of the world suffer from vitamin D deficiency.

In the winter it’s even harder to get enough vitamin D. The sun shifts its focus to the southern hemisphere, and much of the population in the northern hemisphere can no longer get the vitamin D they need from the sun, making it important to seek other sources, like supplements or lamps with UVB.

Researchers continue to uncover evidence that links low vitamin D status to a higher prevalence of a variety of autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, and other diseases like breast and colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, and various infections. In spreading awareness of the potential health benefits of vitamin D, organizers hope to reduce the incidence of some of these diseases in the long run.

“There is no denying that vitamin D status is associated with a myriad of very important clinical diseases. As a scientific community, we are now in the next phase of research, where we are designing and conducting rigorous clinical trials to verify whether improving vitamin D status leads to better outcomes. In the process, we hope to learn about how vitamin D supplementation may bring about these potential health benefits.” says Dr. Sadeq Quraishi, MD, MHA, Assistant Professor of Anaesthesia at Harvard Medical School.

InspireHealth, a health center in Vancouver, Canada, established Vitamin D Day on November 2nd in Canada in 2009. Prior to 2009, the Vitamin D Society recognized November as Vitamin D Awareness Month for several years.

This grassroots public health movement inspired Dr. James Lunney, Member of Parliament for Nanaimo-Alberni, Canada, to introduce Bill C-388, An Act to establish National Vitamin D Day on November 2nd in Canada.

Expanding these outreach efforts in attempt to make Vitamin D Day a global movement, Vitamin D Council and Grassroots

Head to the Vitamin D Day website at www.vitamindday.net for more information and how to get involved. Organizers also have a Facebook group at www.facebook.com/vitamindday.Health, two United States nonprofit organizations, along with Health Research Forum of the United Kingdom, agreed to also promote Vitamin D Day annually on November 2^nd starting in 2012.

About Vitamin D Day

Vitamin D Day takes place every November 2^nd. Organizers are calling for people to learn more about vitamin D, educate others and participate on the day. People can visit www.vitamindday.net to learn more about vitamin D and find out how they can help spread awareness.