First things first, get your mind out of the gutter you filthy animal… We’re talking about the sun’s most famous vitamin, not the other vitamin D (which we guarantee is more disappointing)!
I recently touched on this in the article on beating the winter blues, but today we’re diving much deeper to look at why, when & how much vitamin D is best for us all. Including some tips on the best sources, plus how to use vitamin D to aid sleep, mood & performance.
Vitamin D is forever preached about, but what’s in it for you? Well, quite a lot actually! The headlines are a boost in immune function, bone health & your circadian rhythm/mental wellness. In fact, these benefits are so important in our day-to-day function that just 1 month without vitamin D will increase your risk to diseases such as cancer & bone deficiencies such as osteoporosis 2-fold! There are also some nuanced negatives of vitamin D deficiency such as mental decline & decreased sleep quality/energy levels.
The obvious source of vitamin D is daylight (more specifically the sun’s UVb rays) & for good reason. There is no other source of vit D which is as easily absorbed by the body. Daylight also has mental & physical health benefits which aren’t found in dietary forms of vitamin D such as supplements or food sources. 15 minutes in direct sunlight with your face & arms uncovered is plenty daily.
However, as I write this, I can barely see out of the train window. Not because it’s super late, but because at 4pm the UK is famously dark in November. This can prove a problem for getting some natural light on my skin, although lunchtime walks become a priority this time of year. Here, supplementing through daily capsules or consciously increase dietary vitamin D is our best option. 15mcg daily is the aim, which can be found in eggs, oily fish, mushrooms, yoghurt, fruit & most red meat. Caveat here; getting enough vitamin D from diet alone is tricky, so we always recommend supplements anyway, especially in winter months.
Timing your vitamin D generally makes no difference to the effects, but you might want to play around with your sunlight exposure timing for other reasons. There are research studies, including one highlighted by the late Michael Mosely at the BBC, measuring office workers on various schedules, ages & health levels. Those who got out into daylight within 2 hours of waking up showed significant improvement to sleep quality, energy/hormone levels & circadian rhythm. Lunchtime daylight also has positive effects, just not as impressive as a 20+ minute walk first thing. Even better for your heart, weight, & mental health.
There are various tests for vitamin D levels but considering the importance (& cheapness of supplements), we’d recommend putting this in place today. If you want more information or a chat about similar small positive changes we can help you with, get in touch. Thanks for reading!
Elliot Hutchinson // 24.11.2024
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