CTV's Dr. Rhonda Low takes a look back at some of the biggest health stories of the year. In 2008, food safety was a big issue, along with Vitamin D, and the use of a certain type of plastic in water and baby bottles.

Bisphenol A

Bisphenol A is a chemical used to make plastic hard and shatter proof.

This year, Canada became the first country in the world to officially declare the chemical hazardous to our health and to ban the use of it in baby bottles. Retailers voluntarily pulled BPA- containing water bottles from their store shelves.

The concern is that when these products are heated, the substance can leach into food and into our bodies. BPA has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Listeria

National food safety was a major concern after hundreds of Maple Leaf products were recalled after a Listeria outbreak this summer. Twenty Canadians died.

Maple Leaf's North York, Ont., plant was the center of the outbreak, and was shut down for weeks while it was sanitized.

Listeria is a type of bacteria found in food and soil, and can make you seriously sick. People who are most vulnerable, include pregnant women, the elderly and individuals with a weakened immune system.

Vitamin D

And finally, the sunshine vitamin had another good year. It's long been known that Vitamin D is crucial for keeping your bones strong.

But there was more evidence in 2008 that it may also help prevent certain types of cancer -- type 2 diabetes -- multiple sclerosis and even some infectious diseases.

Researchers believe Vitamin D in the blood could block cancer cells from spreading, or it may boost the immune system. To get the most benefit, the Canadian Cancer Society now recommends taking 1000 international units of vitamin D-3 per day.

60 is the new 40

And finally, there was news that being 60 is the new 40. That's because compelling studies show that reducing blood pressure, getting regular exercise, and reducing stress levels can reduce harmful inflammation and slow the physiological effects of aging in our cells, perhaps holding at bay those diseases that we traditionally attribute to old age.

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Dr. Rhonda Low