Here's What Your Shadow May Tell You About Your Vitamin D Production

<div><img src="https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/68ee1e1b15000063ec26a25a.jpg?ops=scalefit_630_noupscale" alt="A person's shadow" data-caption="A person's shadow" data-credit-link-back="" data-credit="Martino Pietropoli via Unsplash" />A person's shadow</div><div class="content-list-component text"><p>Though<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/nhs-vitamin-advice-winter_uk_66deb37ce4b05e7aac7c431a"> the NHS recommends</a> all adults “consider” taking vitamin D from around October to about March, recent research suggests that not all vitamin D supplements are created equal. </p><p>A <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/vitamin-d2-immune-system-study_uk_68ecc3aee4b04c87b806e739">paper published</a> in Nutrition Review suggested that vitamin D2 supplements might decrease a person’s D3 levels, which experts think might be linked to better immune function. </p><p>The study’s lead researcher, <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/vitamin-d2-immune-system-study_uk_68ecc3aee4b04c87b806e739">Emily Brown, said</a>: “This study suggests that, subject to personal considerations, vitamin D3 supplements may be more beneficial for most individuals over vitamin D2”. </p><p>More research is needed to find out exactly how different types of vitamin D work. But apparently, there’s a very basic way to tell whether your afternoon walk is likely to stimulate any vitamin D: your shadow. </p><h2><strong>What can my shadow tell me about my vitamin D levels?</strong></h2><p>Speaking to <a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/vitamin-d-supplement-lowers-d3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BBC Science Focus</a>, Professor Susan Lanham-New, head of the Department of Nu