The Blog
Sun...An Essential Supplement?
Saturday 29th April 2017
It's step 5 of the 7 Days to Improve The Mood and today I want to give a very special Vitamin a day of it's own. It's the sunshine Vitamin, the one that some of us find the cold season gnaws away at, leaving us low, irritable and full of the winter blues. Vitamin D.
I have given it a day of it's own as it is sometimes overlooked, without us fully aware of just how important it is and how effective it is on several systems throughout our bodies. Maybe to just take a moment to consider its job, can help us deal with any SAD issues we have (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and general low mood and will equip us to maybe manage the next Winter in a more positive frame of mind and throughout the year?
Vitamin D is slightly different to other Vitamins, in that it behaves a bit more like a hormone that every cell in our body can respond to. It is a fat soluble Vitamin that means our bodies produce it from cholesterol. I would like to add here that this is a good example of the fact our bodies do NEED fat and by avoiding it entirely, can result in a number of fat soluble Vitamins not working efficiently and a whole host of issues and symptoms that can cause problems for us. Choosing good fats in moderation will certainly help your body function at it's best.
Back to the Vitamin D, as stated, it is made from cholesterol in our bodies, but it also needs something else - your skin exposed to sunlight: something a little difficult for most us during the winter months. I could advise an annual winter holiday in a hot climate to keep those levels topped up nicely at this point, seeing us parade around a swimming pool with cocktails and a smile. However, back to the real world, we have year long commitments that certainly most of us can't just walk away from because we can't run around without layers of clothing on.
So how do you know if you are deficient in this Vitamin? There are so many reasons to be feeling low, stressed or generally fatigued, but are there any indications that your symptoms are related to Vitamin D? It can be quite difficult to tell when deficiency can be shown in very subtle ways.
- Being ill or having infections quite frequently.
- Fatigue and Tiredness
- Bone and Back Pain
- Depression
- Impaired Wound Healing
- Bone Loss
- Hair Loss
- Muscle Pain
I bet most of us can relate to many of these symptoms yet some will have no issue with Vitamin D - so please don't start heading straight down to your GP's demanding the next available blood test! However, we should also be mindful that Vitamin D deficiency is incredibly common nowadays and most are unaware of it.
The following are risk factors for low Vitamin D -
- Having dark skin
- Being elderly
- Staying Indoors
- Living furthest from the equator
- Not eating much fish or milk
- Always using sunscreen when out (which is advised to!)
- Being overweight
Maybe both considering any symptoms you have and whether you fit in to any of the risk groups above could give you more of an indication that an increase in Vitamin D really should be on the cards?
I am never one to advise on or take supplements myself as I am a firm believer that if you eat correctly, seasonally and on the whole, in a healthy way, you should obtain all of your body's requirements from your diet. I do have a confession though - I do take Vitamin D Supplements.
I do eat seasonally, I eat well and I love the foods that are full of Vitamin D, so why on earth do I take them? Well, I have a strong family history of osteoporosis, and a good daily dose for me, helps me do all I can to not go on to suffer with these brittle bones that cause easy fractures and pain in the future. If you have a similar family history, I would advise speaking to your GP about this.
When I first started taking Vitamin D, it was a few years ago and I remember it WELL. I was just coming through a particularly bad winter. Spring was on the horizon but I was in the middle of some emotional issues I wouldn't want to go through again! I would definitely have described my mood as "low" at that time and I was fully aware that I was showing all the symptoms of SAD. I spoke to my GP and after some consideration from his recommendations with my family history I embarked on some Vitamin D supplements. Now, don't get too excited by this as remember, the spring was on it's way, lighter mornings and evenings, warmer weather, which can all boost the mood anyway - but not long after I started on the supplements I felt my cloud lift and a new brighter me, emerged from the over night frosts and that "sleeping bag" dog walking coat splattered with the winter mud. I had found a way through the bleak mood!
Without a family history of osteoporosis or proven low Vitamin D, I would be off down the supermarket with a shopping list. Quite similar to Dopamine boosting foods funny enough, I would be stocking up on -
- Leafy green vegetables
- Red Meat
- Eggs
- Shellfish
- Salmon, herring and sardines
- Cod Liver Oil
- Mushrooms
- Milk
- Fortified Cereals
- Cheese
All good choices there and with these items stacked in your basket, you may end up being that trolley envy shopper (you know the one, they are usually queued before you, empting their trolley of ingredients on the to the conveyer belt that oozes health, organisation and imagination. The one that makes you look down at your own choices and wonder when you will ever stop eating the same stuff that just doesn't have such wholesome appeal!).
A word on sun exposure. Now, it is quite possible to get your Vitamin D requirements from your diet and just walking about (get that 10,000 a day step challenge going!). You don't need to go out without sun cream even if it does lower the exposure, and I would always advise clients to continue on a great "cover up" regime. Remember, the risks and development of skin cancer is much less treatable than a low vitamin D level!
Children - With a new generation of gamers and TV addicts emerging, it is on the increase to see young children suffering from issues such as rickets and bone deformities. The days of playing in the outdoors seem to be a distant memory for some of us and if you have children in your household, consider "upping" the food rich in Vitamin D. You could be helping them a great deal in the long run, especially if you have a grunting 14 year old at your house, who lives in a way that only could be described as a cave troll.
A discussion with your GP may be warranted if you have read all of the above and consider any symptoms you may be living with, having a strong resemblance to a Vitamin D deficiency. It would be a real shame to be crawling along, half speed, heavy in mind and mood if you could be treated with a simple supplement.
Our bodies are such clever machines that require a little of everything, do it a favour and give it a fuel that assists function and where necessary, give it a fine tune. It will hold you and your family in good stead for a healthy, happy future.