A Johns Hopkins University study suggests that vitamin D deficiency increases your risk of premature death by 26 percent — fueled by the fact that vitamin D decreases the mortality rate from almost every type of cancer, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Wednesday.

The paper spoke to Atlanta physician Reginald Fowler, who concurred with the study’s findings. “The doctor of internal medicine found that 80 percent of his patients lacked the crucial vitamin that maintains normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus in the body,” the Journal-Constitution reported. The paper quoted Fowler as saying, “It’s nothing new, but if we can do something about it, we will decrease the incidence of disease significantly.”

Fowler told the Journal-Constitution that a simple blood test can check for levels that should remain at 30 (nanograms per milliliter) or above, but the vitamin D research community actually recommends 40-60 ng/ml.

And the J-C, like a few papers this year, reported misinformation about the best source of vitamin D. “The sun helps the body produce vitamin D, but too much time in direct sunlight can increase the risk of skin cancer. So food and supplements are generally deemed the best sources,” the paper reported.

“Saying the sun helps the body produce vitamin D is like saying that water helps people avoid dehydration — it’s a total understatement,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said. “The sun is, in fact, the most natural and abundant source of vitamin D — there is no other natural source that can get people to 40-60 ng/ml.”

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