How to fight depression with vitamin D
And minimize risk of sun damage
Welcome back, warm sun. We missed you. Log fires and binge-worthy box sets are great, for a while, but they have limited appeal. It’s time to go outside, make vitamin D and feel a whole lot better.
And therein lies your dilemma. You’re advised to cover up, or slather yourself in sunscreen at the first hint of a sunbeam. Yet avoiding the sun is counterintuitive: humans have a primeval love of warm weather, and merrily strip off to the bare minimum whenever the opportunity to do so presents itself.
The advice to avoid direct sunlight at all costs is now under question, as understanding of the role of vitamin D as an antidote to depression continues to grow. So too is our understanding of certain plant chemicals — carotenoids — which can help protect against the damaging effects of the sun.
Vitamin D and mental health
You probably associate vitamin D with bone health, but that’s just a fraction of the picture. Vitamin D also plays an important role in brain development — there are receptor sites for this vitamin throughout the brain.
