Any SAD sufferers here?

[Chris1712]

No lightbulbs do not produce UVA light which is necessary for the skin to break down cholestrol into Vitamin D.

I do agree there are some hypochondriac, but this is a legitimate fact.
90% of your Vitamin D dependency is made from sun exposure. Your daily recommended intake/use is roughly 2000iu, which is equivilant to about a days sun exposure. From googling, 8oz of milk contains only 100iu, and a large piece of salmon at most 600iu. Basically you can't always get enough from a dietary means.
Surely you can feel the effects yourself, do you not feel more relaxed and happier sitting in the sun?

So why is one of the 'treatments' for this 'disorder' an alarm light!?

 

[ChroniC]

Because those lights are specifically designed to gradually raise the level of UVA light (they have specialised bulbs that cost a lot) in the morning to stimulate the person to feel like they are waking up on a sunny day, plus it gives a small exposure to kick start the bodies production of VitD.

If they are cheap then they don't work. Simples.

 

[0neAnd0nly]

Because those lights are specifically designed to gradually raise the level of UVA light (they have specialised bulbs that cost a lot) in the morning to stimulate the person to feel like they are waking up on a sunny day, plus it gives a small exposure to kick start the bodies production of VitD.

Its the UVB rays that cause vitamin d production in the body. Do these lights have a balanced UVA/UVB ratio? If it focuses solely on UVA, it could cause cancers:

http://www.medical-hypotheses.com/article/S0306-9877(08)00599-9/abstract

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/vitamin-d-sun-exposure-supplementation-and-doses/#axzz1h1JsuPel

Personally, I would rather supplement with vitamin D3 in the winter

 

[ChroniC]

I would image no, but they are not super super strong, and you don't sit next to them for 9 hours, so I'd imagine the risk is low. I am not a SAD light scientist.

 

[Lysander]

Yeah, I get depressed in summer when it's sticky and hot.

Gillly, if this is the case for you it's called SSAD, Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder. I get it too, it means I get stressed out and panicked in the hotter months of the year.

So we are currently in the best time of year for me. I am enjoying it immensely.