Tis the season to be…SAD?

Its always around this time of year, when the bells are ringing, and children are singing, that I feel restless, hungry for all the sweets, extremely sleepy, and depressed. So strange how such a lovely time correlates with such a dark place in my life…on a yearly basis…Medical school only exacerbated the problem, with last winter being one of my darkest times. Yes, the stress of gifts, nerves revolving around family gatherings, and the closing out of a year play a large part. But studies are showing there is more to the story. This common feeling of morose from December to early March, and extending into April and even May in some areas is actually a medical diagnosis called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD 1. The mechanism of this disease process is unclear, but one theory implicates Vitamin D deficiency and lack of sun exposure.

The newest statistic from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed that almost 90% of darkly pigmented individuals in the United States are Vitamin D deficient and 75% of the remaining populace are vitamin D insufficient 2. These are staggering numbers that have doubled in the past 50 years. Many of this is due to American lifestyle, sedentary indoor desk jobs, and improper diet.

 So what is Vitamin D, where do I get, and what does it do?

There are two forms of Vitamin D- Vitamin D2 found in food, and vitamin D3 that we make in our bodies utilizing the UV rays of the sun (literally SO cool!). Ancestral practices included spending the day outside mainly between the hours of 7 and 3. From 10-3 pm, when your shadow is shorter than you, are the best times to create Vitamin D3 and absorb the benefits of the sun. This is referred to as the zenith angle 3. This angle is increased in the early morning, late afternoon, and wintertime. During these times hardly any vitamin D3 synthesis occurs. The amount of time one needs to spend in the sun varies with skin pigmentation. Fair skinned people needing around 15 minutes and darker pigmented individuals needing up to an hour during zenith angle to get sufficient vitamin D3 3. Not only has modern society lost touch with the outside, but we are lathering our skin with sunscreen disrupting UV rays from activating this important synthesis pathway.

Vitamin D2 is derived from plants and supplements. While, Vitamin D3 is found in animals and said to be a more absorbable and beneficial food form of Vitamin D, neither contribute significantly to Vitamin D status 4. Supplements contain a form of vitamin D called ergocalcifero, that is not very bioavailable 4. So opt for Vitamin D3 supplements. High vitamin D containing foods per the USDA are: halibut, mackeral, salmon, portobello mushrooms (mushrooms in general), cod liver oil, tuna, eggs, and raw milk, to name a few.

Mushrooms are very interesting. Upon exposure to UV light, mushrooms synthesize active vitamin D very similarly to human skin. Portobello mushrooms exposed to UV light for 10 minutes and then grilled contain 498 IU of vitamin D 5with the current recommendation for vitamin D 600IU daily! 6.

 UV exposed Chaga mushroom morning tonic recipe to come!

Vitamin D deficiency comes in many flavors, and presents in every one a little differently. Vitamin D is important in the regulation of circadian rhythm 7. Circadian rhythm is our sleep-wake cycle. A disruption in this rhythm leads to an abnormal hormonal balance of melatonin and serotonin, our sleepy and happy hormones 7. This imbalance leads to increased sugar cravings, trouble sleeping, disinterest in activities, and depression. Vitamin D is also responsible for proper bone health, enhancing immunity, and aiding in good mood, memory and concentration, to name a few 3.

So how do I ensure I get this baby on a daily basis?

Our sun vitamin needs really one thing to be sustained, light exposure!

The best way to maintain adequate Vitamin D levels is by getting outside without sunscreen for at least 15 minutes, eating a healthy varied diet, and exercising! But sometimes this is easier said than done…

If you are in a situation where you don’t have as much freedom to get outside, you can consider purchasing a light box. According to Andrew Weil MD, a leader in integrative medicine, first line treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder includes light therapy 8.  Studies showed utilizing light therapy sustained adequate levels of Vitamin D3 in healthy young women 9 and patients with malabsorption issues like Cystic Fibrosis and short bowel syndrome 10.  I’m going to order a cheap one off Amazon soon and report back! Light boxes do come with side effects similar to blue lights when used improperly. Consider talking to your doctor first before trying this therapy.

 Who knew all we needed was a little sunshine from time to time?