The Gazette: Genes linked to Vitamin D deficiency

In the era before vitamins and cod-liver oil, children suffering from rickets got the "sunshine cure" to rid them of the deforming condition caused by soft, weak bones. It was also the treatment for tuberculosis. Deficiency in Vitamin D, which is key to maintaining bone health, has been linked to other disorders, including diabetes, cancers of the breast, colon and prostate, and cardiovascular disease. Now, an international study co-authored by McGill University researcher Brent Richards explains why sunshine and certain foods aren't always enough to ward off a Vitamin D deficiency.