Dr. Kenneth Mathis of the Methodist Center for Orthopedic Surgery in Houston said:

"I am seeing many active, young women and men who have dangerously low vitamin D levels. I believe if these people begin taking the daily recommended amount of vitamin D when they are younger, and get their levels tested regularly, that they might be able to prevent osteoporosis and certain cancers when they get older. "

Mathis noted that a recent review of women with osteoporosis hospitalized for hip fractures revealed 50 percent were found to have signs of vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D regulates how much calcium remains in the blood and how much makes its way to the bones and teeth, but it has also been found to reduce the risk of breast, colon and ovarian cancer, Mathis said.