A fresh study at the University of Eastern Finland shows that vitamin D deficiencies can increase a person's risk of death, Finnish media reported Wednesday.
Researchers studied the effects of vitamin D on over 1,000 people aged from 53 to 73 who did not suffer from cancer or vascular diseases, but 65 percent of the subjects were found to have low levels of vitamin D. The subjects were monitored for an average of nine years. A total of 87 of the participants died during the course of the study.


The study confirmed that a dearth of vitamin D increases the risk of chronic diseases. Individuals with low levels of vitamin D are about twice as likely to die early compared to those with higher levels.


During the summer months in Finland, people are able to obtain vitamin D from exposure to the sun. However, persons living in Finland must rely on vitamin D from food or supplements during the darker months of the year.


VietNamNet/Xinhuanet