Forty-two percent: that’s nearly half of Americans who are deficient in Vitamin D — and that stat is even higher in adults: up to seventy-seven percent! While this sunshine vitamin is amazing for bone health (it helps distribute calcium to the right places) and mood (hello, Seasonal Affective Disorder), it has some other pretty awesome superpowers that are less well-known.

Diabetes Prevention: According to this study, Vitamin D deficiencies are more closely linked to diabetes than obesity!

Fitness Enhancing: An article published in Helath & Fitness Journal found that Vitamin D supplementation can boost fitness and muscle function.

Immune Boosting: A meta-analysis found that Vitamin D is closely linked with your immune system, and that low levels make you more susceptible to upper and lower respiratory tract infections, up to two and a half times more likely to develop pneumonia.

Brain Function: According to this study, “people with low levels of vitamin D had a 53 percent higher risk of developing dementia, and those with a severe deficiency had a 125 percent increased risk compared to participants with normal levels of vitamin D.”

Longevity: People with low D are more likely to die: 35 percent more likely from heart diseases, and 14 percent more likely from cancer.

The good news is, during the winter months, when we’re not naturally getting the Vitamin D boost that occurs naturally from sun exposure, you can boost your levels in in other ways. This article has tips for choosing a supplement; additionally, you can easily incorporate foods into your diet that provide the vitamin, including:

• Fatty fish

• Foods fortified with Vitamin D

• Beef liver

• Cheese

• Egg yolks