ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Turning back the clock from daylight saving time to standard time on Nov. 6 may give you an hour more of sleep, but there could be negative consequences on your bones.
“What you’re looking at is a change in the daylight hours and when you might be exposed to sunlight,” said Caitlin Nicholson, MD, Sports Medicine Physician, Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.
Less sunlight during the winter months is associated with low vitamin d levels. Bones need calcium and calcium needs vitamin D to keep bones strong. Sunshine is one of the best ways to get vitamin D.
“So, in those shorter days, you’re at risk for not having enough vitamin d to create healthy, strong bone tissue,” Nicholson said.
Low vitamin D levels could lead to poor bone health and diagnosis of osteopenia and osteoporosis in adults or rickets in kids. So, what can you do to protect your bones, even in less sunlight?
“Getting regular exercise, especially weight-bearing exercise, can help promote good bones or healthy bones,” Nicholson said.
You can also get vitamin D from supplements or food sources like salmon, trout, whitefish, tuna, mushrooms, cheese, eggs, and milk. And stopping habits that are bad for your bones like smoking. Also limit alcohol to one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.
Fifty percent of the world’s population suffers from low vitamin D levels. Experts recommend adults 19 to 70, take in 600 international units of vitamin D per day, which increases to 800 international units per day for those 71 and older.