January, February and March are the worst months in the UK for Depression
The stores of Vitamin D that we had built up from the previous summer are at their lowest
The “half-life” of Vitamin D in the body is 30-60 days, so our Vitamin D from the sun is now less than 10% of what is was at the end of last summer
You may have a little Vitamin D from your food, but it is very little
Seasonal Affective Disorder shows up progressively in a number of ways, finally leading to full Depression:
* Difficulty waking
* Decreased Energy
* Craving for Carbohydrates
* Increased Appetite
* Sleeping longer
* Weight gain
* Difficulty concentrating
* Decreased libido
* Withdrawal from family & friends
* Depression + Anxiety + Irritability
Do you recognise any of these and do they change throughout the year ?
The best solution is to find some sunshine or equivalent
Alternatives that seem to help are to take supplements to boost your Vitamin D and your Omega-3.
If you can take a short break in the sunshine, that is probably the best
Sunbathing on a long weekend in North Africa, or Tenerife or Cape Verde or the Middle East would be wonderful.
Try exposing most of your body for 15-30 minutes a day in the mid-day sun without sunscreen.
If you have fair skin you might sunbathe for a shorter time and if you have dark skin for longer
But – be very careful not to burn or let your skin start becoming pink
See a separate page which discusses how you may be able to improve your tolerance for the sun by taking Vitamin D capsules in advance
Alternatively, many people have found that a short treatment on a professional sun-bed works for them
Some people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome find that a monthly sun-bed session makes a big difference
If you can eat more oily fish like Salmon at least twice a week it may help
Some people also suggest that Vitamin B12 helps
If you are taking drugs for depression then eating oily fish may help you to take lower doses ! Researchers in Holland found that people taking SSRI drugs for Depression responded better when they also eat oily fish
Instead of sunshine and food you might try Vitamin D capsules or high-strength Omega-3 Fish Oil
See other pages here for “How Much Do I Need ?” and how to test yourself
Read more at:
* www.vitamindwiki.com/depression
* www.expertomega3.com/omega-3-study.asp?id=38
* http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/12/17/vitamin-b12-depression.aspx
Which type of Vitamin D should I take and where can I buy it ?
http://vitaminduk.com/buy-vitamin-d/
Where can I buy Omega-3 Fish Oil and Vitamin B12 ?
http://www.greenvits.eu
What works for you ?
Let us have your comments
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