Hi, I live in a flat, that has4 floors, it’s huge, and far to big for us now, so am doing an exchange for a cute 2 bed house with lovely garden. When I have a flare up, I can be in my flat for weeks (longer is the lift breaks down) just looking at the flats opposite! Im thinking that with a garden, I’ll be able to have lots of natural sunlight, I;ve heard this is good for us, is this true, or is it just good to have natural light on your face anyway?? Thank you x
Hi Shellie… well it’s a bit of a mixed answer really.
Our bodies produce Vitamin D in the presence of sunlight… and Vitamin D is good for everyone and very good for MS. But the body will only produce tiny amounts of Vit D if the sunlight is coming through a window.
On other hand, sitting in hot sunlight can be very bad for MS and make symptoms worse… because of the heat.
So just use common sense… sit in sunlight when it’s cool and sit in shade when it hot… but I’m sure the act of sitting in the fresh air and looking at plants and flowers can only be a good thing and anything that makes you happy can only be a good thing.
Good luck with the move… how lovely for you.
Pat x
Thank you Pat. Fortunately I don’t like blistering heat, so that’s good. I went abroad 2 years ago, and spent most of the time indoors watching Jeremy Kyle, and other crap tv, it;s very addictive hahaha. I’m very excited, hope it all goes through xxxx
While UVB exposure from direct non-burning midday sunlight when your shadow is shorter than your height will improve your vitamin D status and your health generally there are other reasons why sun exposure may be a good thing.
This YouTube Ted Talk explains.
Why are Scots so sick: Dr. Richard Weller at TEDxGlasgow
We should also consider the impact that having BRIGHT LIGHT exposure has on Melatonin secretion in resetting out Circadian rhythm as well. If we don’t have a significant difference (because we stay indoors too much) between DAY and NIGHT we have melatonin being produced throughout the day (bright light exposure prevents or reduces melatonin secretions) and that makes us sleeping during the day. Too much light at night prevents melatonin secretion during the evening so we have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep at night.
There is some useful FREE software at this link for monitors or laptop screens or any LED display to make it less bright after dusk and restore to full brightness during the day.
f.lux: software to make your life better
UVB doesn’t pass through glass so sunlight exposure through glass or plastic (windscreens, windows, conservatory roofs) results in only UVA exposure. UVA processes any Vitamin D3 near the surface of your skin into suprasterols that the body doesn’t use so it’s DEGRADING your vitamin D3 and depleting your 25(OH)D level. If you were a lorry/coach driver (or office worker with desk near window) spending several hours a day getting UVA only sun exposure would, inevitably, over time, lower your vitamin D status.
If you want to be a bit more precise about how much vitamin D you will make from laying in the sunshine there is a calculator here that will work out how much exposure is required for 1000iu Vitamin D3.
And some charts at this link to work out, depending on your weight, how much extra vitamin d daily you may require to reach 125nmol/l the natural level for human vitamin D equilibrium.
Thank you x
[quote=“shellie46”] I don’t like blistering heat, [/quote] Maybe you could invest some time now improving your skin’s ability to tolerate exposure to it’s natural environment.
There are some evidence based suggestions at these links that will over time (12~20 weeks) change the texture of your skin so it’s less likely to blister or feel uncomfortable given UVB exposure.
Natural Sunscreen Options - Healthy Fellow
Eat Your Sunscreen? - Wellness Mama
Of course no one should ever get sunburnt. Buring allows iron to escape from blood cells, damage DNA which then becomes liable to initiate cancer. But paler skins should provide an evolutionary advantage at this latitude as paler skin creates more Vitamin D3 than dark skin. Full body UVB exposure should create between 10,000 and 20,000iu vitamin D3 so our bodies can attain and maintain a natural vitamin D equilibrium around 125nmol/l or just above. Most of use (those not taking at least 5000iu vitamin D daily, will now (Feb) have 25(OH)D levels around 25nmol/l and thus experience more disease activity and pain than is necessary or desirable.
This link shows the typical range of responses to different daily vitamin D intakes.
http://www.grassrootshealth.net/media/images/serum-level-rise-chart-wide.pdf
and this link the connection between Vitamin D levels and sensitivity to pain
http://www.grassrootshealth.net/media/images/pain-chart-wide.pdf
I just have my results from my bloodtest. I’m 90 nmol/l and thats good for february. Optimal levels of vit D are more than 75 nmol/l.I try to get outside every day, even when its cloudy.
Ursie x
It is extremely good but unfortunately not typical of most UK adults whose 25(OH)D levels range from about 25nmol/l at the end of winter to about 75 nmol/l at the end of summer.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/85/3/860.long
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/85/3/860/F1.medium.gif
[quote=“Greenfinch”] Optimal levels of vit D are more than 75 nmol/l.I [/quote] ’
That is current consensus medical opinion and maybe it’s the optimal level for doctors best financial interests but not necessarily optimal for patients long term health interests?
Naturally humans living outdoor near naked lives as human DNA evolved attain and maintain vitamin D equilibrium at
Do you think that evolution has it wrong and that the level at which human milk is a vitamin D replete food for human babies is a big mistake or is it perhaps optimal that human milk should be vitamin D replete naturally?
“I try to get outside every day, even when its cloudy.”,
That is a good plan even in winter as the brightness outdoors, even in winter is better than indoors and it will help restore Circadian rhythm and enhance melatonin secretion. Melatonin has many of the same actions as Vitamin D3 as it’s also an anti inflammatory, antioxidant, antinociceptive, antibiotic immune enhancing hormone. However between October and the end of February you will not increase Vitamin D3 status in the UK even if it was sunny.
You can get a rough idea of when Vitamin D production is theorectically possible by comparing the length of your shadow with your height. If your shadow is longer than you are tall then the sunlight will not contain sufficient UVB to increase your 25(OH)D so it’s not worth removing your clothes and laying in the sun for that reason.