North Country's Vitamin D deficiency

By Amanda DeLosh
Spring is just around, which means summer is even close. Birds are chirping in the air, blue skies gleam across the sky and the best part of it all, the sun is starting to shine so brightly and warming our faces.
After a harsh-cold winter with gloomy dark skies following everyone like shadows, it’s time for everyone to start feeling good. However, could there be some underlying cause affecting North Country people from being more healthy and active in the wintertime?
Some say yes, and others say it’s just the wintertime laziness coming into play. Living in Upstate NY means a lot of snow, ice, and Plattsburgh’s favorite, the wind off Lake Champlain that seems to come in all directions when walking down the street. Vitamin D, the drink milk equals strong bones campaignee, hits hard when people are exposed to less sun and performing less physical activity. Jorunn Gran-Henricksen, a nutrition professor at Plattsburgh State says, “Vitamin D helps regulate calcium in the body.” She continues saying, “If you don’t have it, it won’t absorb calcium as well from food.” Once fall hits people seem to migrate into there houses and hibernate for all of winter, which the end result would be less physical activity, unless of course.
“The further North we live, the harder it is to get Vitamin D,” says Gran-Henricksen. “The sun has to be a certain strength to get the right amount,” she continues. She explained how there are certain times of the year when the sun is its strongest. “Almost the middle of March to mid October is stronger, compared to other months throughout the year.” Gran-Henrickson says that it is good to be outside for about 15 minutes to get the proper amount of sunlight for Vitamin D.
“The last 15 years Vitamin D is becoming more involved with helping regulation of cell growth, and the maturation of cells along with immune cells, to fight cancer, and blood pressure regulation,” says Gran-Henricksen.
There is isn’t anymore sun gleaming from the warm blue sky, all there is are mixtures of overcast gray skies that seem very depressing, unless of course, you’re a vampire, but even vampires need strong bones. Garrett Billings, a former student at North Country Community College in Saranac, says, “I would say that if no one had told me I didn't have a Vitamin D deficiency problem I would think I had depression.” He continues to say, “And from someone who's been on anti-depressants and they didn't heal all of my symptoms, I’m glad it was caught because you wouldn't believe how much a vitamin can change a life when it's in need.”
As everyone can see, once the weather starts getting nicer, people start coming out of the woodworks and there is more activity outside with people smiling and laughing and just having a great time in the sun. There’s a sense of relaxation, a mood of happiness, and an altogether feeling of relief the winter is finally over.
Billings noticed in just a short period of time how much his life changed after taking Vitamin D. “ Well I just starting taking them but I’ve noticed a difference already,” He adds, “I take on before bed and one when I wake up in the morning and when I wake up I feel a little more rested and when I take one in the morning I feel like it gives me a little bit more energy throughout the day.”
Of course, everyone is different so different dosages will be needed in order to help this vitamin deficiency. Many researchers are finding new and exciting news. Vitamin D, the nutrient the body makes from sunlight and is also found in milk and fish, is said to build bones, strengthen the immune system and lower risk of diabetes as well as kidney and heart disease. All of these illnesses are somewhat controlled by a little vitamin D?
Many people are probably wondering now what the symptoms are. Symptoms of a Vitamin D deficiency can range from muscle pains, low energy and fatigue, sign of depression, mood swings and having sleep problems. These may all seem like normal signs of just about everything, more than likely living in the North Country having these symptoms will entail having this deficiency.
Kindsley Dodson, from Lake Placid, NY, has lived in the North Country her whole life. Not until hearing these questions has she realized that having a Vitamin D deficiency could definitely affect more people in living here. “Not being around the sun for about 5 months out of the year will definitely take a toll on people,” Dodson says. “Especially when we get such little sun, I know I tend to miss it and when it does come out you just, feel better.”
Checking to see if someone has this deficiency is very important for North Country people especially. Just a routine check-up will do the trick to get blood-work, and one will soon find out. “The symptoms are so vague it could be anything diagnosed, so checking blood levels is the best way,” says Gran-Henricksen.
There are many things that people can do to help regulate their Vitamin D intake. As described by Gran-Henrickson, “In mid March-October be outside for 15 minutes, also having three cups of milk per day is close to the Vitamin D amount you will need, and one other thing is eating fish, especially salt water fish, two times a week.”
There are ways to prevent this deficiency from occurring, and that basically means, eating healthy; getting enough protein in throughout the day. Also, taking a multivitamin will fill any gaps in you nutrition system, and if you can some type of healthy sun exposure, making sure to use the proper protection of SPF. All of these tips will help in the long run, and if people are still unsure taking a vitamin D supplement will help ease the curiosity of, “do I have a deficiency?”Living in the North Country may be peaceful as families look out their windows into the beautiful Adirondack Mountains, but staying healthy is something everyone should make sure they do. So, when children come home from school and start playing with their milk at dinner time saying, “hey mom, look I have a milk mustache!” at least you know they are one step closer to having a healthy immune system.