This seems a bit out of date with the recent sunshine here in West Cork, but I wrote it in the depths of winter and forgot to post it (I think it's called Baby Brain, a dangerous forgetful condition you can develop when you have a Young One...!) Anyway...

The short dark days of the early New Year leave many of us feeling a little blue – Why is that? Lack of direct sunlight and vitamin D deficiency is a significant factor in the development of SAD, or the ‘winter blues’. This month I’m focusing on Vitamin D. I have been taking vitamin D for a while as there has been so much recent research on the myriad of health benefits it offers, so I thought I’d provide some of the information I have gathered so you can see if you think it might be something that would benefit you. Remember, I’m not a doctor so if you are on prescription medication please consult a healthcare professional. Vitamin D is actually a hormone not a vitamin, though it is known as the Sunshine Vitamin. With the aid of sunlight, vitamin D is made from cholesterol in the skin, liver and kidneys. Recent research has linked a deficiency of Vitamin D with arthritis, bone density loss, auto-immune conditions, heart disease, osteoporosis, viral infections (including the flu) and 17 types of cancer. In Canada, the Cancer Society recommends taking at least 1000 iu’s of vitamin D throughout the winter. From the reports I've been reading, people who take Vitamin D say that they have an increased sense of well-being, improved sleep patterns and even weight loss. The Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis released a study showing that depressed patients were 11 times more likely to have low levels of Vitamin D. They also determined that low levels of Vitamin D were associated with low mood and also not being able to complete certain mental tests. It takes 10-15 minutes of sunlight on our skin (without any SPF creams on) for our bodies to make a daily supply of vitamin D – and at the moment we would be lucky to get that per week! One reason for there being such high numbers of people being Vitamin D deficient is that we're encouraged to stay out of the sun and use sunblocks whenever we're outside. Using sunblock and avoiding too much exposure to the sun is good for preventing skin cancer but means we produce less vitamin D. Also, if you are on a low fat or a low cholesterol diet, you will have decreased production of Vitamin D. Stress also contributes to decreased Vitamin D production and it has been shown that as we age, the ability of the body to produce Vitamin D decreases. Interestingly enough, they are now considering Vitamin D deficiency as an epidemic in the US, as it has been found that even people living in Sunny California don’t have enough in their blood. Dietary sources of vitamin D are oily fish, such as mackerel, herrings, salmon etc, cod liver oil and egg yolks. It is also added in small amounts to some milk. Baby formulas often have vitamin D added to them. It is added to many calcium supplements but only enough to absorb the calcium in the tablet. Without regular exposure to sunlight it is pretty hard for our systems to make enough vitamin D unless you take it in capsule form.

To find out more about Vitamin D and the health benefits you can read this book