When Dr. Wright started writing about vitamin D on a regular basis a few years ago, I remember initially wondering "why all the fuss" about such a basic nutrient. Of course, now it's clear that, as is often the case, he was way ahead of the curve. Every week, this essential vitamin makes headlines, usually for benefits that Nutrition & Healing readers have known about for years, thanks to those articles Dr. Wright has been writing. But recently vitamin D added another item to its lengthy roster of benefits.

Apparently, having adequate levels of this nutrient may protect against Parkinson's disease.

Researchers from Emory University School of Medicine discovered that patients with Parkinson's disease were more likely to have insufficient levels of this nutrient than healthy people – or even than people with other degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

While the research team wasn't sure whether the low vitamin D levels contributed to the onset of the disease or if they occurred as the result of it, previous studies indicate that the area of the brain most affected by Parkinson's "contains high levels of the vitamin D receptor, which suggests vitamin D may be important for normal functions of these cells."

Either way, the link was strong enough to spark a follow-up study using vitamin D to possibly reduce the severity of Parkinson's in patients struggling with the disease.

While the results of that study aren't available yet, it's quite clear that getting – and maintaining – adequate levels of vitamin D should be a top priority for everyone, not just Parkinson's patients.