Why you, as well as young females, need vitamin D

You
Investigators have connected low vitamin D levels to atherosclerosis. They found that low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were associated with increased intima-media and maximal carotid thickness in those with plaque, according to the August issue of Stroke.

Young Females
Early menarche (menstruation) is a risk factor for cardiometabolic disease and cancer. Latitude, which influences sun exposure, is inversely related to age at menarche. An American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study following girls at age 8-9 showed that 57% of girls in the vitamin D–deficient group reached menarche during follow-up compared with 23% of girls in the vitamin D–sufficient group, making the probability of menarche twice as high in vitamin D–deficient girls.