Is vitamin D really as good for you as they say?

Less tired, just a bit cheerier, you feel healthier, you feel a bit more energetic; these are the symptoms of spring. I'm experiencing it too. To put it in a 2019 way: I thrive on sunshine.

In autumn and winter, I always cheat my way through a bit. No, no worries, I don't use tanning beds, but I try to book my vacations so that it just barely becomes autumn here and just misses spring. That almost shortens winter by a whole month, making it theoretically only last two months. Now you also immediately understand why I never have a euro left over, because I am indeed very bad with numbers.

Back to the symptoms of spring, because that's what I want to know more about. Everyone always starts rambling that it's due to the lack of and the absorption of vitamin D, because that's what the sun brings with it after all. But what actually is vitamin D? And what does it do? And why do you need it so much in your life? Here it comes.

The sun is basically the main supplier of vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced in the skin through sunlight. You can further divide that D into D2 or D3 and so on, each with their own divided superpower. But in summary, it's actually a building block that ensures that the processes in your body and brain function properly. There are scientific studies that even say that a low vitamin D level is related to psychological complaints. And besides calcium, it is the most important building material for strong bones. Important? Yes.

It's a myth that only the sun provides vitamin D; it's also found in fatty fish, just in a much lower dose, and you can take it in in the form of a supplement. But it is essential that you catch some real daylight from time to time, the most ideal situation is that you spend about 15 to 30 minutes outside with exposed hands and head between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM. That walk after lunch isn't as sleepy as it sometimes seems. At our latitude, the sun's strength is especially strong enough to produce vitamin D at the end of spring and in summer. So why are we all suddenly acting so cheerful? Joost knows, just enjoy it.

P.S.: The sun's strength is already strong enough that you need sunscreen, just read how that works.

Source: Gezondheidsnet