Even more reasons to celebrate the sun

It has been recognized for some time that low light levels in the winter months can be responsible for lowered mood and even depression.

This syndrome even has a name SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder and special lights can be bought that mimic the effect of natural sunlight.

Natural sunlight is also responsible for the production of vitamin D. This vitamin is responsible for strong bone growth and a lack of it can cause rickets. Recent research though also shows a very strong correlation between a lack of vitamin D and the onset of Multiple Sclerosis.

MS is a chronic, disabling neurodegenerative disease. It strikes most often during early adulthood and seems to affect women more than men.

According to the Times newspaper, there is now hard evidence to link the “sunshine vitamin” and a gene that increases the risk of MS, raising the possibility that the debilitating auto-immune disease could be eradicated.

George Ebers, Professor of Clinical Neurology at the University of Oxford, claimed that there was hard evidence directly relating both genes and the environment to the origins of MS.

It seems that Vitamin D may be especially important in pregnancy for those who have a genetic vulnerability to MS.

What are the potential solutions?

• Get more sunshine, especially in winter so the body can create more vitamin D.
• Eat more fish or fish oil supplements that are natural sources of vitamin D
• Ensure that your diet is also mineral rich (calcium and magnesium) so that the vitamin can be used by the body
• Understand that eating more grains tends to reduce vitamin D in the body

It seems that today we have yet another reason to worship the sun.