Sad Light

[samuela66]

Hi, I am trying to find out about the seasonal lamp you can buy to help with the winter blues. What are they really called and where do you get them.

Thank You.

[lauranurse]

You can get them from loads of places, including Boots.

Just try searching for SAD light

[lauranurse]

ooooh just looked and there are some on sale in Boots!

http://www.boots.com/guidedsearch/newsearch.jsp?searchArea=1&searchTerm=sad&uri=%2Fonlineexperience%2Fflexible_template_2006_p ublish.jsp&classificationId=1043920&contentId=&articleId=&N=0&Ntk=all&Nty=1&Go.x=20&Go.y=12

[lauranurse]

http://www.britebox.co.uk/?gclid=CNv9-bav5YkCFTwHQgodpmtlJw

[Nile]

Hello samuela66

As this is a health subject, I'll move your thread across to the 'Health' board.

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=1009335#post1009335)) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email abuse@moneysavingexpert.com (abuse@moneysavingexpert.com).

Regards

Nile

[Savvy_Sue]

If you search for sad light or sadlight on this board you will find some previous threads, and suggestions for cheaper ways to cheer yourself up!

[Ted_Hutchinson]

Vitamin D vs broad spectrum phototherapy in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=10888476&query_hl=27&itool=pubmed_docsum)
this research, and my own personal experience, shows that HIGH STRENGTH vitamin d3 is more effective than SADLIGHTS for dealing with Seasonal Depression.
BIO-TECH Pharmacal Inc. (http://www.bio-tech-pharm.com/products/d35.html)The best source for Vitamin D3 Cholecalciferol is also the cheapest source of HIGH Strength Vitamin d3 I'm afraid you have to fax your order through but they are fairly quick.
You can either go for the 5000iu and take ten on the first day and one a day thereafter until March cost around £8.50 for a whole winter.

Or you could buy the 50,000iu.
The 50,000iu capsules work out cheaper as you would only need about one a week for 8 weeks and then one every 10 days. These work out cheaper but some may consider that having an adequate dose daily is a better/safer option that having a very high dose less frequently.
If you are bothered you can read
Risk assessment for vitamin D -- Hathcock et al. 85 (1): 6 ... (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/1/6) shows that these levels are WELL under any level that could cause problems.

I've now got some of both mainly because I wanted to boost the levels of those family members who didn't spend as much time in the sun as I did last year. But given the (very very slight but somewhat increased) risk of Avian Flu. I feel it is prudent to have an alternative strategy available if the NHS plan for the pandemic goes belly up. See posts #1 (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=4015174&postcount=1) and #2 (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=4015238&postcount=2)

The Vitamin D council Depression Information (http://www.vitamindcouncil.com/depression.shtml)Vitamin D at 4000iu/d helps depression (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=15260882)

The other point you need to be aware of is that it is simply the light output of the light source that has the beneficial impact. So ANY light that is very bright will do. Adding "SAD" generally adds considerably to the price.
this 2D Task Light (http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?cId=101442&ts=72653&id=19417)from Screwfix at £22.99 would be more than adequate and probably has EXACTLY the same LIGHT SOURCE and Light Output as many far more expensive models.

[Andrew_G]

Ted
I'm confused, why 10 X 50000iu on the first day and only one thereafter?

[Ted_Hutchinson]

Ted
I'm confused, why 10 X 50000iu on the first day and only one thereafter?I think you have misread my post and I will go back and edit it so it's clearer.
I said "You can either go for the 5000iu and take ten on the first day and one a day thereafter until March cost around £8.50 for a whole winter."
So if you order the 5000iu capsules and take 10 on the first day that will give your reserves a quick boost and taking one a day thereafter (given we need between 3000&5000iu/d) slightly more than your daily bodily need (to continue to raise reserve status) until end of March when you stop the supplements and use FREE regular limited sun exposure.
Those people who haven't been supplementing with Vit d will have used 4000iu a day since September and their bodily reserves are bound to be low so a quick boost followed by using slightly more than is needed daily should get those reservers repleted.

An alternative is to buy the 50,000iu and take one of those each week for 8 weeks (a quicker way of building back your reserves) and then one every 10 days 50,000/10=5000 until the Winter is over.

If you were starting in September clearly only an intake averaging 4000iu a day would be needed as you would,if you've been getting outside regularly (a least 3 times a week) around midday (when UVB<>UVA ratio is best for vit d synthesis) for around 10-20 mins (depending on how much skin is exposed, cloud cover, pollution etc) but because it is January those starting now have some catching up to do. If you've just come back from a Month in the Canaries then you should have repleted you stocks and will simply need to sustain them (4000iu/d) until the Sun is high enough for the UVB to penetrate.