Beat The Winter Blues With Vitamin D

Winter time is here and for many that means the return of the winter blues. The winter blues is a nickname given to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Seasons of the winter blues can include:

• A lasting decline in mood
• Apathy, just not caring
• Fatigue and less energy
• Difficulty staying awake and having a hard time getting out of bed
• Less interest in social interaction and other favorite activities

It is estimated that between 10-20% of Americans may suffer from a form of SAD or the winter blues. However, only about 1% of the people in Florida get it while 10% of the people in New Hampshire get the winter blues.

Why the difference in people in the Southern states compared to Northern states? One of the main reasons is a lack of vitamin D. Sunlight helps to produce Cholecalciferol which the body converts to vitamin D.

So what are we to do if we live in the Northern States to keep the winter blues away? One option may be to go to a tanning booth. But that can bring on its own negative side effects. Another option is to supplement vitamin D.

When taking vitamin D for the winter blues, make sure that is the active form of vitamin D which is known as D3 or Cholecalciferol. Studies show that a therapeutic dose of 5,000 I.U. of vitamin D can help to reverse the winter blues. But that’s not all, vitamin D is also very good for the bones, inflammation, heart disease, cancer and more.

So now that winter is here, isn’t it time that we all consider supplementing a little more vitamin D?