Besides boosting your bone health, taking vitamin D with your calcium could give you another big benefit: protection from cancer.

It's true. This powerful pair may help reduce the risk of five different kinds of cancer, according to a recent study.

Cancer D-fense
Healthy postmenopausal women taking vitamin D daily with their calcium over 4 years had fewer breast, colon, lung, lymph/leukemia, and uterine cancers than women taking calcium alone. (And here's another condition the combo might help thwart.) How the vitamin might defend against cancer still needs to be determined, but researchers know that certain genes and cells need adequate D to do their jobs flawlessly.

Supplementing Sunshine
Since the winter months tend to be short on sunlight, taking a supplement and getting more vitamin D in your diet can help protect you from shortages of the sunshine vitamin. (If you want to get your D from the sun, here's how to do it safely.) In addition to a supplement, you can also get a boost from salmon and other fatty fish, fortified cereal, and dairy products. Find more food sources with this online tool.

Is your diet missing out on must-have vitamins and minerals? Fill in this diet questionnaire and we'll let you know.

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