Your Body Almanac

Massachusetts

Lyme country, cold winters and the original vitamin D winter study.

Massachusetts is a high-incidence Lyme state. Boston is where researchers showed winter sun makes no vitamin D for four months a year. Three counties have high radon potential.

01

Lyme disease and blacklegged ticks

Massachusetts reported about 72 Lyme cases per 100,000 people in 2022, and CDC classes it as a high-incidence state. Blacklegged ticks also spread anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Powassan virus. Woods, brushy edges and leafy yards are all tick habitat.

SourcesSurveillance for Lyme Disease After Implementation of a Revised Case Definition — United States, 2022 (CDC MMWR)Where Ticks Live (CDC)
Check for ticksAs neededAfter time in grass or woods, check your whole body, shower within two hours and dry your clothes on high heat. Use insect repellentAs neededUse an EPA-registered repellent on exposed skin when mosquitoes or ticks are around.
02

The vitamin D winter

A classic study in Boston, at 42 degrees north, found that winter sun made no vitamin D in skin from November through February, even on clear days. All of Massachusetts sits at about that latitude. For a third of the year, food is your main source.

SourcesInfluence of season and latitude on the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D3 (Webb, Kline and Holick, 1988)Vitamin D — Health Professional Fact Sheet (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements)
Get vitamin D from foodDailyEat fatty fish, fortified milk and UV-exposed mushrooms so you are not relying on the sun alone. Ask your doctor about vitamin DYearlyIf you get little sun or few vitamin D foods, ask at your checkup whether testing or a supplement makes sense for you.
03

Radon

EPA places Essex, Middlesex and Worcester counties in Zone 1, its highest radon-potential category. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, and homes anywhere in the state can test high.

SourcesEPA Map of Radon Zones and Supplemental Information (US EPA)Health Risk of Radon (US EPA)
Test your home for radonAs neededRadon is invisible and odorless, so a simple test is the only way to know your level. Fix it at 4 pCi/L or higher.