Protecting your pancreas just got a little easier.

A study shows that bumping up your vitamin D intake from 150 IU per day to 600 IU may drop your risk of pancreatic cancer by up to 41 percent. So what are you waiting for? Take your vitamins. Or get extra D from food.

Good Sources of D
Aim for at least 400 IU of vitamin D per day -- more if you are over 70. You can get it by exposing your skin to a bit of sunlight each day, but for a UV-free dose, feast on fish, fortified cereals, and fortified dairy products. Look up more good sources here. A supplement will work, too. Who knew protecting your pancreas could be as easy as popping a pill?

Gender Bender
The benefit from increasing the vitamin D in your diet appears to vary by gender. Vitamin D slashed pancreatic cancer risk in both the men and the women in the study, but men tended to experience a more dramatic dip. Regardless, man or woman, vitamin D is vital to your health. It boosts your bones, bolsters your immune system . . . it may even help you breathe better. Read more on this topic here.

Protect all your major body systems with advice from the YOU Docs.