A black tongue though harmless is a real possibility for men who smoke.

Lingua villosa nigra, a black hairy tongue occurs when the papilla on the surface of the tongue turns black or brown. The papilla are usually one mm in length and grow up to 1.5 cm in length, according to Joachim Deissemond at the University of Essen. It usually occurs in men that smoke

In a study of otherwise healthy teen girls, researchers from Saint Mary's Hospital for Women and Children in Manchester found that white girls had higher Vitamin D levels compared to their non-white peers, though both the groups were deficient in the organic substance. The study suggests that it is "reduced sunshine exposure" which needs to be blamed rather than diet.

Dr. M. Zulf Mughal and colleagues warn "Vitamin D deficiency during childhood and adolescence might impair the acquisition of peak bone mass at the end of skeletal growth and maturation, thereby increasing the risk of osteoporotic fractures later in life

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health have discovered that a diet including lots of low-fat dairy products might lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in women.

Previous studies suggested a high level of dairy foods in the diet may lower the risk of being overweight or developing insulin resistance syndrome. However, little has been studied to examine the link between these factors and diabetes.

Researchers looked for the relationship between type 2 diabetes and dietary levels of dairy foods and calcium in 37,183 women in the Women's Health Study

A new study by researchers at Harvard University School of Public Health in Boston, links lower levels of Vitamin D in teens to poor lung function.

Jane Burns, a research fellow in the department of environmental health and team studied 2,112 adolescents, aged 16 to 19, and found that 35 percent of the teens consumed less than the recommended amount of vitamin D per day (200 international units), reports Health Day

According to a panel of U.S. experts, some Americans might be taking too many vitamins in a hope to live longer.

However, the panel also stated that some individuals need the supplements. The panel said, "For instance, older women benefit from taking calcium and vitamin D to strengthen their bones, and younger women need to take folic acid to reduce birth defects in any children they may have