It’s quite a sensitive & complex subject, as such we will do our best at providing a clear and concise article to clear any doubts you may have.
Impact Of Vitamin D Deficiency On Mental Health
The body needs Vitamin D at the proper level for it to function as it should. The body transports the vitamin to the kidneys and liver, where it converts into an active hormone. In this form, it assists the body in absorbing calcium.
Your body acquires vitamin D through sun exposure. It’s the component that determines coloring in the human and animal world. How Vitamin D Deficiency Leads to Mental Health Effects
Low levels of the vitamin may contribute to schizophrenia in adults, depression, and seasonal affective disorder.
Who’S Getting Too Little Vitamin D?
A result of 30 nmol/L (nanomoles per liter) or under is too low, and anything over 125 nmol/L is too high. Aim for 50 nmol/L or slightly above, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS). African-Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians, and Asian Americans are more likely to be lactose intolerant than people of European descent.
Other groups at higher risk, according to the ODS:
Older adults (As we age, our skin doesn’t synthesize vitamin D as efficiently.). People who are obese (Greater amounts of subcutaneous fat traps vitamin D, possibly interfering with how much of the vitamin can circulate in the body.). The ODS recommends that adults age 19 to 70 get 15 micrograms (600 International Units, or IU) daily.
But before you take anything, be sure to speak with your doctor. If you do need extra vitamin D, either D2 or D3 will work, and you may need 1,500 to 2,000 IU daily. (Vitamin D2 is derived from plants, whereas vitamin D3 is synthesized from animal sources.).
“In order for vitamin D to be well absorbed, it needs to be taken with a source of fat,” Moore notes.
Vitamin D Deficiency And Depression
Low levels of Vitamin D may contribute to poorly regulated mood and behavior, as a deficiency can impair cognitive function and brain health. While getting more Vitamin D isn’t likely to resolve depression on its own, it might help improve your mood.
This article was medically reviewed by David A. Merrill, MD, PhD, psychiatrist and director of the Pacific Brain Health Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center. In fact, there’s evidence to suggest that lower levels of Vitamin D are associated with depression . Here’s what you need to know about the relationship between vitamin D and depression.
Vitamin D deficiency and depression
A vitamin D deficiency may contribute to depression. For example, one review of 13 studies with over 31,000 participants found that those with a vitamin D deficiency had an increased risk for depression, when compared to those with higher levels of Vitamin D.
“Low levels of vitamin D are associated with both major and minor depression, as well as mood disorders and faster cognitive decline,” says Robin Foroutan, MS, RDN, HHC, integrative medicine dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Low Vitamin D levels may impair cognitive function because there are vitamin D receptors in areas of the brain that are responsible for mood and behavior, including the development of depression.
The average adult needs around 600 to 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day. You should try to get around 15 minutes of sunlight between 10 a.m. And 3 p.m., three times a week, in order to get enough vitamin D.
Does Getting More Vitamin D Help With Depression?
Improving Vitamin D levels may help promote general health and a stronger sense of well-being.
However, research hasn’t proven that getting more vitamin D is a sufficient stand-alone treatment for depression. For example, a 2014 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found there was no effect when vitamin D was supplemented at 4,000 IUs in those with depression versus a placebo. And a 2019 review of patients with depression that supplemented with 70 micrograms (approximately 2,800 IUs) of vitamin D3 also found no change after supplementation.
“We do not have sufficient evidence to recommend this as a first line treatment for depression,” says Dorothy Sit, MD, a psychiatrist at Northwestern Medicine. Instead, your doctor will likely recommend a combination of therapy and medication as the first step for treating depression. Vitamin D is found in few foods naturally, and in relatively small amounts.
The best sources include:
Mushrooms
Egg yolks
Salmon and other fatty fish
Some foods are also fortified with vitamin D, meaning that more is added in. Related articles from Health Reference:.