What happens to our bodies when we don’t have the sun?

When we expose our skin to sunlight, our body starts producing vitamin D, also known as the “sunshine vitamin”. It plays a very important role for the proper functioning of various organs and tissues of the body. According to a recent study, nearly 40% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. People who avoid being in the sun or don’t get enough of this important vitamin can suffer from a number of negative consequences.

O awesome.club gathered the most common symptoms of “sunshine vitamin” deficiency, taking the opportunity to show how they manifest themselves in people.

Calcium and vitamin D have long been recognized as essential nutrients for bone health and mineralization. Calcium is absorbed in the small intestine with the help of vitamin D. Thus, the deficiency of this vitamin leads to a decrease in calcium absorption.🇧🇷 The result is weakening of the bone structure.

People who don’t get enough sunlight suffer from bone pain, muscle weakness, rickets, osteomalacia, and osteoporosis. Therefore, it is very important to maintain an adequate dose of vitamin D in the body. The main sources of vitamin D are sunlight, a healthy diet (especially fish), and supplements.

As vitamin D facilitates the absorption of phosphates and calcium through digestion, it can be very helpful in treating bone-related problems. The lack of calcium causes changes in the bone structure, even deforming it.

Increasing vitamin D intake in the form of supplements or exposure to sunlight are attitudes that help people maintain a healthy level of calcium in bones and cells. This vitamin can be used to control or prevent chronic foot pain, especially that associated with conditions such as osteoporosis, inflammation of the sole of the foot, arthritis, and other inflammation of the joints and tendons.

Studies have shown that low sun exposure and the consequent deficiency of vitamin D in cells can lead to the development of colorectal cancer. It is the levels of this vitamin that determine the survival and growth of cancer cells. Sufficient levels of vitamin D are linked to an overall better quality of life for patients with colon cancer. There is a need to carry out additional clinical tests capable of evaluating, in each case, whether vitamin D supplementation can help to prevent or reduce the risk of incidence of this type of cancer.

You can find out if your vitamin D levels are healthy by taking a blood test. The optimal level is greater than 30 nanograms per milliliter.

In general, today’s society is based on work performed in offices, in front of computers. In addition, it is not uncommon to see people working overtime at the office, which causes them to spend more time in front of the computer than walking or simply enjoying time outdoors. Even when we have time to rest, we spend hours watching TV shows or playing video games.

The sun plays a very important role in our state of mind., being able to even determine whether or not we will have a smile on our face, as the lack of light is a real emotional state killer. The more we lock ourselves between 4 walls, the sadder we get. It is recommended to spend more time outdoors. You can think of many fun activities that can be done outside the home. This makes it easier to stay healthy. Another option is to buy a homemade light box to maintain your vitamin D level during the dark winter months if you live in places where it gets dark very early – in certain regions of the northern hemisphere, for example.

As psoriasis is characterized by a malfunction of the immune system, vitamin D can positively alter this balance. Exposure to ultraviolet B rays can be an effective way to treat psoriasis, acne, and other skin conditions. Keeping a good dose of vitamin D in your life will make you notice a big difference in your skin’s health.

You don’t need to sunbathe to get enough vitamin D. But if you choose to do so, you need to be careful and not expose yourself too much to UV (ultraviolet) rays🇧🇷 After all, there is a higher risk of melanoma in patients with psoriasis.

Muscle weakness, bone pain, and deformities can all contribute to weight gain, as make it difficult to perform physical activity, generating the burning of few calories. In addition, vitamin D and the hormone leptin work together to control body weight. Leptin is produced in fat cells, which sends signals to the brain. Deficiency of this vitamin can break this cycle. The result of this is that the person does not feel satisfied and ends up eating too much.

You can get vitamin D from exposure to sunlight and also by eating a healthy diet. Include fish (swordfish, tuna, and salmon), egg yolks, and vitamin D-fortified foods such as milk, whole grain bread, plain yogurt, orange juice, and granola with probiotics.

Recent research has proven that cognitive dysfunction and dementia are now on the long list of diseases caused by vitamin D deficiency. As the receptors are scattered throughout the brain tissue, low levels of this vitamin can increase the risk of cognitive impairment among the elderly.

In 2015, a study involving more than 60,000 individuals from Scotland and Sweden helped to point out that people who live further north on the planet (and therefore are less exposed to sunlight) are at significantly higher risk. greater risk of developing dementia compared to those living in the south.

There are three main sources of vitamin D: exposure to ultraviolet rays, a healthy diet, and taking supplements. However, you need to keep certain things in mind. The real danger of Excessive sun exposure is skin cancer. So, you must follow a complex sun protection plan: stay in the shade, apply waterproof sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher, and wear protective clothing.

If you choose supplements, remember that the dose depends on blood tests and the results analyzed by the doctor🇧🇷 While a vitamin D level of 30 ng/ml is generally considered adequate, it’s best not to put your health at risk and consult a specialist before taking any supplements. Excessive amounts of vitamin D can accumulate in cells and cause negative consequences.

Do you live in an area that doesn’t get much sun? How do you deal with it? Leave your comment below!