Bring On The Sunny D. Vitamin D, That Is

Thinking of the four seasons, my two favorites are spring and summer. I like the warmer yet milder temperatures of the spring, although the hotter temps of the summer are difficult for me to tolerate as one who lives with multiple sclerosis (MS). The fall weather I don’t find so bad, but the winter can just be too cold, and that also exacerbates my MS.

The one commonality that I love about the four seasons, however, is the sun. Whether its rays are beaming on beautiful flowers, bouncing off the sand on the beach, kissing the colorful variance of autumn leaves or glistening on a sheet of snow. I love sunny days. They make me smile. But the benefits of the sun’s effects don't simply end with putting a smile on my face.

Vitamin D and MS

As previously mentioned, I have multiple sclerosis. Some research has shown that having enough Vitamin D may reduce the risk of developing MS, or potentially lessen the severity of symptoms. Too, I’ve read about sunlight being good for the body. Absorbing it gives us Vitamin D, and its nutrients are beneficial for bones and muscle health. Just like orange juice, for example, has Vitamin C that can be good when we have a cold.^1,2

It wouldn't take much sunlight to be advantageous. However, MS has impacted my functionality so much that I'm primarily homebound. It takes so much energy to do anything that I rarely even go outside. The problem with that? No nutrients from the sunlight to make me smile, or to absorb natural Vitamin D. And I cannot afford to be deficient in Vitamin D. Yet I am, or at least was.

Why my doctor told me to take it

MS has already caused my muscles to be weakened, my immune system compromised, and joint pain and fatigue. A few years ago, as I began having more troubles with mobility, my doctor told me that I would benefit from a Vitamin D supplement. He prescribed 50,000 units to be taken orally once per week.

With this supplement, my body receives the support from the sunlight without basking in it. I’m still rickety from the MonSter (MS), but I trust Vitamin D and, of course, I love the sunlight when I can get to it. So it’s a win.

Sunlight can be good

With all of that said, the ‘lesson’ here is that sunlight is good for more than helping flowers and trees to sprout and bloom to their beautiful best. It is good for more than warming the air to melt away snowy banks and icy roads. And it's good even for being a major catalyst in bringing a smile to my face. Because there are other things that make me smile, yet I just still smile brighter in the sunlight.

The bottom line is sunlight can be good for our health. And in more ways than even discussed in this article and beyond its links to MS. It’s just that, in any case, when our bodies are void of adequate levels of the nutrients from the beauty of the sunlight, it may be time to bring on the Vitamin D.

Editor’s Note: We are extremely saddened to say that on December 2nd, 2024, Dianne Scott passed away. Dianne’s advocacy efforts and writing continue to reach many. She will be deeply missed.