For my global health theme I will focus on the importance of Vitamin D and sunlight to human health. I will examine changes in sunlight here in Angers, France and compare it to changes in sunlight in Austin. Vitamin D is very important for our health. Vitamin D is vital for our immune system and the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin D is called the sunshine vitamin and a lack of it is related to depression. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with several chronic diseases, which include cardiovascular, autoimmune diseases, and cancer.
wearing dark winter clothes in September at France
In general the weather in France is very cold compared to Texas. “Texas gets approximately 157 sunny days and 104 partly cloudy days; which is relatively high when compared with other regions of the United States” (Johnson). I feel that Angers gets less sunlight than Austin. The temperature here in Angers never goes above 70 degrees and it hardly ever gets to 70 degrees. It is usually between 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. I always have to wear at least a long sleeve shirt. I can’t wear shorts or short sleeves like I would in Texas around September. I got a runny nose on my second week in Angers because I didn’t wear warm clothes on one of the cold days. Because the weather in Angers is usually cool there is no need for Air Conditioners in the house. According to my host mom, the French people believe not having air conditioners is natural and good for the environment. However, I believe air conditioners keep the air around us clean.
In regards to the effect of sunlight exposure on human health, I found a few contradictions on my research.
Another article that focuses on regions states that “Major differences in 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration were found between regions, the lowest values being seen in the North and the greatest in the South, with a significant ‘sun’ effect and latitude effect.” (Chapuy,1997). This statement agrees with Holick’s article that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in Northern latitudes.
In comparing North America (Texas) and Europe (France) Lips summarizes that “Vitamin D status is much better in North America where vitamin D deficiency is uncommon but vitamin D insufficiency (serum 25(OH)D between 25 and 50 nmol/l) is still common. In the United States and Canada milk is usually supplemented with vitamin D and the use of vitamin supplements is relatively common. ” (Lips). Also, Texas in general is located at a lower latitude than the rest of Europe.
Another factor that may influence the vitamin D status on people is on whether they live in a large city or small one. According to Chapuy there are results that show that in “French normal adults living in an urban environment with a lack of direct exposure to sunshine, diet failed to provide an adequate amount of vitamin D” (Chapuy, 1997), Angers, because it is a small city, gets more sunlight than other big European cities. This month I traveled to both Paris and London and I definitely noticed less sunlight and more gray skies.
The clothes one wears also has an impact on vitamin D deficiency. According to Buyukuslu, “Vitamin D deficiency is very common in the Middle-East and there is a relationship with skin covering clothes and staying outside of the sun. “(Lips). In another study it was found that vitamin D levels of young women are associated with clothing style, and the age at “which a female begins wearing Muslim style clothing is related. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiencies was “55.0% for covered and 20.0% for uncovered students”. (Buyukuslu, 2014). In my observation of clothes that people in Angers wear compared to Texas, I noticed that French people wear mostly dark clothings. In addition, because of the cool weather they hardly wear short sleeves. I always see them covered up in scarfs even when I feel the weather is not that cold.
In my future posts I will talk about sunlight exposure in other cities I visited in Europe in October such as London, England , Madrid and Barcelona Spain. I will also talk about more in depth how lack of sunlight influences depression.
Citations
Buyukuslu, Nihal, et al. “Clothing Preference Affects Vitamin D Status Of Young Women.” Nutrition Research (New York, N.Y.) 34.8 (2014): 688-693. MEDLINE. Web. 22 Oct. 2015
Chapuy, M C, et al. “Prevalence Of Vitamin D Insufficiency In An Adult Normal Population.” Osteoporosis International: A Journal Established As Result Of Cooperation Between The European Foundation For Osteoporosis And The National Osteoporosis Foundation Of The USA 7.5 (1997): 439-443.MEDLINE. Web. 5 Nov. 2015.
Holick, Michael F. “The Vitamin D Deficiency Pandemic: A Forgotten Hormone Important For Health.” Public Health Reviews (2107-6952) 32.1 (2010): 267-283. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Nov. 2015.
Johnson, Leigh A., et al. “The Relation Between Vitamin D And Depression In A Rural Dwelling Sample: A Project Frontier Study.” Texas Public Health Journal 62.3 (2010): 16-19. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Nov. 2015.
Lips, P. “Worldwide Status Of Vitamin D Nutrition.” The Journal Of Steroid Biochemistry And Molecular Biology 121.1-2 (2010): 297-300. MEDLINE. Web. 5 Nov. 2015.