Therapist tells how lack of sunlight affects health
October-November is traditionally the darkest time of the year for the middle part of Russia, and not only because of the short daylight hours, but also because of the cloudy weather. Thus, for the whole October, residents of the capital region had the opportunity to be in the sunlight for only 41 hours - this is almost half the norm, which is 78 hours. The therapist of telemedicine service "Doctis" Oysana Makhmudova explained what the sun deficit can lead to and how to support the body in this difficult season.
The bone system suffers
"The main property of sunlight is to stimulate the production of vitamin D in the body, which is responsible for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the intestine, and is involved in the transportation, distribution and deposition of these minerals in the bones in the correct ratio," says Dr. Makhmudova.
Of course, you won't get osteoporosis in a month or two of being in the "dark", but long-term vitamin D deficiency (and it is very common among Russians), of course, increases the risk of its development, and at the same time - and the occurrence of fractures.
Neurological and psychiatric disorders occur
"Also light waves, hitting the retina of the eye, are converted into a nerve impulse. And depending on its intensity, the pineal gland during sleep produces melatonin - the "sleep hormone", which regulates circadian rhythms, takes part in antioxidant activity (one of the functions of which is to resist tumors) and affects the production of serotonin ("the hormone of joy, happiness and activity"). With the lack of sunlight, first of all, the circadian rhythm suffers, which manifests itself in the form of problems with falling asleep and quality of sleep, the development of depression, reduced activity", - says Makhmudova.
The work of the immune and other systems is disturbed
"Reduced vitamin D production can also be expressed by non-specific symptoms: frequent colds, increased fatigue, broken bones, constipation, slow skin regeneration (wounds take longer to heal), increased bone fragility, tooth and gum disease, hair loss, decreased memory and attention, infertility," continues the therapist. - Scientists have also found a link between lack of sunlight and vitamin D production with other disorders: weight gain, polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, miscarriage, pre-eclampsia and a number of other conditions".
What to do during the dark season
Sunlight is always different, its properties and intensity depend on the time of year, weather, and one should take care to get as much of it as possible in late fall and winter.
Dr. Makhmudova gave some advice:
- Go outside more often on sunny days. 5-20 minutes of sunbathing is enough - even such a short time has a positive effect on the body;
- keep the windows open, clean the glass from dirt and dust, open the curtains wider so that light can freely enter the room (it is important to know: if the glass is dirty, 30% less light enters the room);
- move the desk closer to the window;
-use special lamps for light therapy;
- include in the diet turkey, sea fish (preferably fatty), pineapples, apples, plums, bananas, chocolate, nuts (such a diet promotes the production of serotonin);
- be more physically active, movement also increases serotonin levels;
- take vitamin D3 preparations prophylactically.
"The last advice is not unconditional," notes the expert. - Excess vitamin D is also unsafe for health, as well as its deficiency. In order to determine the dose of vitamin D3 preparations, you should consult an endocrinologist or therapist. The doctor will help to determine the amount of vitamin in the body, as the degrees of deficiency are different: deficiency, mild deficiency, deficiency and severe deficiency".
The bone system suffers
"The main property of sunlight is to stimulate the production of vitamin D in the body, which is responsible for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the intestine, and is involved in the transportation, distribution and deposition of these minerals in the bones in the correct ratio," says Dr. Makhmudova.
Of course, you won't get osteoporosis in a month or two of being in the "dark", but long-term vitamin D deficiency (and it is very common among Russians), of course, increases the risk of its development, and at the same time - and the occurrence of fractures.
Neurological and psychiatric disorders occur
"Also light waves, hitting the retina of the eye, are converted into a nerve impulse. And depending on its intensity, the pineal gland during sleep produces melatonin - the "sleep hormone", which regulates circadian rhythms, takes part in antioxidant activity (one of the functions of which is to resist tumors) and affects the production of serotonin ("the hormone of joy, happiness and activity"). With the lack of sunlight, first of all, the circadian rhythm suffers, which manifests itself in the form of problems with falling asleep and quality of sleep, the development of depression, reduced activity", - says Makhmudova.
The work of the immune and other systems is disturbed
"Reduced vitamin D production can also be expressed by non-specific symptoms: frequent colds, increased fatigue, broken bones, constipation, slow skin regeneration (wounds take longer to heal), increased bone fragility, tooth and gum disease, hair loss, decreased memory and attention, infertility," continues the therapist. - Scientists have also found a link between lack of sunlight and vitamin D production with other disorders: weight gain, polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, miscarriage, pre-eclampsia and a number of other conditions".
What to do during the dark season
Sunlight is always different, its properties and intensity depend on the time of year, weather, and one should take care to get as much of it as possible in late fall and winter.
Dr. Makhmudova gave some advice:
- Go outside more often on sunny days. 5-20 minutes of sunbathing is enough - even such a short time has a positive effect on the body;
- keep the windows open, clean the glass from dirt and dust, open the curtains wider so that light can freely enter the room (it is important to know: if the glass is dirty, 30% less light enters the room);
- move the desk closer to the window;
-use special lamps for light therapy;
- include in the diet turkey, sea fish (preferably fatty), pineapples, apples, plums, bananas, chocolate, nuts (such a diet promotes the production of serotonin);
- be more physically active, movement also increases serotonin levels;
- take vitamin D3 preparations prophylactically.
"The last advice is not unconditional," notes the expert. - Excess vitamin D is also unsafe for health, as well as its deficiency. In order to determine the dose of vitamin D3 preparations, you should consult an endocrinologist or therapist. The doctor will help to determine the amount of vitamin in the body, as the degrees of deficiency are different: deficiency, mild deficiency, deficiency and severe deficiency".