Garland and his colleagues examined 63 previous studies that looked at possible links between several types of cancer and vitamin D deficiency. Their study appears in the current online edition of the American Journal of Public Health, and will appear in the February 2006 print edition.

According to the researchers, the studies -- from 1966 to 2004 -- suggest that vitamin D can reduce the risk of colon, breast and ovarian cancers, among others, by as much as 50 percent. (Forbes.com)