I would expect that regularly being outside (for practice) and a normal balanced diet would be sufficient to at least get by in a country like the UK. Some depressive/lower energy symptoms during winter time, maybe, but nothing so severe as collapsing.
Shouldn't this problem show up in a much larger portion of the population? Or do very physically active individuals require more Vitamin D?
I would think that there must be something about these individuals, aside from being dark skinned, that makes them more prone to issues.
From https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-...
> Vitamin D is also found in a small number of foods. > > Sources include: > oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, trout, herring or mackerel > > red meat > > egg yolks > > fortified foods – such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals > > liver (avoid liver if you're pregnant – find out about foods to avoid in pregnancy)
I recently learned that in the winter, in the North, the angle of the sun is such that UVB rays cannot penetrate the atmosphere and your body therefore cannot produce Vitamin D. Surprisingly few people who live here are aware of this.
I take Vitamin D supplements every winter now and I think it makes a difference.
Vitamin D is something its easier to find and still people end up deficient and don't realize it. I think it's particularly telling how the article notes the deficiency can start in the mother and immediately be passed along to a child. How do children grow with inadequate foods? Are we collectively failing to reach our potential?
I’ve since observed that when I run out of vitamin D or forget to take it for several days, my mood slowly declines again. Resumption of vitamin D reverses this.
I did not go into this with any knowledge of such an effect. And the vitamin D influence is stronger in this regard than what I’ve experienced from any (legal) drug. That said, it’s hardly overwhelming. Just a bit more resilience and a bit of protection from feeling overwhelmed.
I now take it in combination with K2 as I’ve heard/read K2 helps keep too much of your calcium from being mobilized by the vitamin D.
The D3 isomer is said to be significantly more bio-available than D1 and D2. And, overdosing does have significant negative consequences over time. So, do your research — and I’m not going to suggest any specific dosages.
But after largely negative experiences with what the pharmaceutical industry has to offer, D3 has been an inexpensive and valuable contribution to my well-being.
Normally, as well as food sources, your body naturally produces Vitamin D as a reaction to sunlight (being outdoors), and not having sufficient time outdoors, especially in a pleasant/nature environment, may be contributing to depression.
Forgive me, I have no link, I feel like medical and nutrition advice changes 180 daily.
Does this ring a bell to anyone?
I think it would be somewhat unsurprising if we find that genes that evolved for one climate are not ideal when migrated to another climate. Especially when we live much longer lives and these kinds of issues are much more relevant to our expected quality of life (ie. how would you know you're vitamin D deficient when you're a peasant who is everything deficient?)
> Those with darker skin need exposure to stronger light to produce the same amount of vitamin D as lighter skin.
IIUC, yes they do. They don’t “spend it” as such, they require higher serum levels overall (compared to sedative individuals, all else equals).
https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/food-and-nutrition...
You ever heard of a thing called a "clickbait headline"?
Casual awareness of studies on this suggest that it DOES show up but the symptoms (lowered immune function, seasonal depression, bone issues) are generic and subtle enough to fly under the radar.
It is not helped that, in my experience, many US health plans do not cover the cost of vitamin D testing without a diagnosis of deficiency (which generally requires a test). While that cost is usually low it does mean that it tends not to be offered because practices tend to avoid non-covered procedures for administrative and billing reasons-- you have to actually ask your physician to do the test.
My understanding is that it is somewhat difficult to end up at serum levels of vitamin D that create actual problems, so in general my not-medical-advice suggestion would be to ask your physician about taking a supplement: they're cheap and if everyone took them it is likely population-level health would improve, and it may dramatically improve your QoL particularly in winter months.
Link between Vitamin D and depression has been known for a long time. It is not a new finding.
> your body naturally produces Vitamin D as a reaction to sunlight (being outdoors), and not having sufficient time outdoors, especially in a pleasant/nature environment, may be contributing to depression.
At higher latitudes, it is extremely difficult to produce Vitamin D from sunlight unless you expose your entire torso(without a shirt). If you have dark skin, you need 2x or 3x more time.
Again, there is extensive literature on this, you just have to read it instead of speculating.
jeffrallen•48m ago
My family just switched to sunrise simulation alarm clock lights, and I'll start squirting vitamin D in my coffee milk soon.
In Europe, winter darkness is a bitch. Don't take chances with your health.
flexagoon•32m ago
Isn't that more complicated and way less precise in dosage than just taking a pill every day (or a higher dose one every week)?
a_conservative•9m ago
edit: the precision comes from getting blood levels measured after supplementation.