Vitamin D is good for your bones, doctors have said for years, but new research suggests that taking a vitamin pill a day might extend your life. The findings, published yesterday in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, add to the growing medical literature about the benefits of what is sometimes called the ‘sunshine vitamin’ because it is produced by the skin in response to sunlight. Recent studies have linked vitamin D deficiencies to higher risk of cancer, diabetes and multiple sclerosis. It could play a role in reducing heart disease and preventing pre-eclampsia in pregnant women. ‘It’s very new to see [the effects of] vitamin D on organs different than the bones,’ said Dr. Philippe Autier, a co-author of the study. ‘These are very ordinary doses. You don’t need four or five pills a day. … ‘You should probably get rid of all the other’ vitamins in the medicine cabinet, Autier said by phone from Lyon, France, where he is a researcher at the International Agency for Research on Cancer. ‘At this point, that’s where we are. This is quite real.’ Consumers are getting used to being told about new benefits of vitamins. Yesterday, […]