A doctor has shed light on how your shadow could be an indicator of your health, particularly in relation to vitamin D intake.
As the summer season wanes and daylight hours diminish, ensuring adequate vitamin D becomes increasingly difficult.
Vitamin D is vital for maintaining healthy bones, teeth, and muscles, and it plays a role in inhibiting cancer cell growth, bolstering the immune system, and reducing inflammation.
While certain foods like fatty fish or fortified cereals provide some vitamin D, sun exposure remains key to fulfilling daily requirements.
“Vitamin D is crucial for overall health,” asserts Dr Natasha Fernando, Medical Director at Medichecks. “From supporting your immune system to promoting bone health, it’s essential that we maintain sufficient levels.”
Yet, with unpredictable weather expected for the remainder of the summer and the approach of darker, colder months, it’s important to assess whether you’re receiving enough vitamin D. Fortunately, the health expert offers a simple trick, reports Gloucestershire Live.
Dr Fernando advises: “Measure your shadow. Even on cloudy days your body can synthesize rays from the sun and turn them into vitamin D, but those rays are only likely to be strong enough if your shadow is shorter than you.
“If your shadow is longer – or if you don’t have a shadow at all – you’re probably not getting enough. Your best bet is going outside in the UK between 11am and 3pm.
“Just 10 minutes in the sun each day is typically sufficient but be careful not to burn. If you stay out longer than 10 minutes, always use sunscreen.
“If you’re worried, you’re not getting enough vitamin D from sunshine try adding more vitamin D-rich foods to your diet, like fatty fish, mushrooms, or fortified products like cereals and juices.”
While Vitamin D deficiency can go unnoticed, its impact shouldn’t be underestimated as it may contribute to severe health conditions such as weakened bones and chronic tiredness.
As the NHS doesn’t regularly test for Vitamin D levels, individuals could unknowingly be lacking this essential nutrient. Indicators of deficiency include:
- Fatigue.
- Muscle aches and weakness.
- Depression.
- Hair loss.
- Bone pain.
- Frequent illness.