Study Shows Increased Vitamin D Benefits Depression

Recent medical research suggests that increasing daily intake of vitamin D benefits depression and other psychiatric conditions, particularly in older people. A study by Amsterdam’s VU University Medical Center, which monitored over 1000 people aged 65 and older, showed strong correlations between vitamin D deficiency and depression. In comparison with non-depressed patients, blood levels of D vitamin were shown to be significantly lower in individuals who experienced both minor and major depression.

When blood levels of D vitamin were restored to normal, depression symptoms disappeared. Vitamin D Deficiency Linked To Other Conditions Associated With Depression The study also indicated a powerful association between low vitamin D levels and other conditions associated with depression. Among the most significant of those conditions is an increased level of parathyroid hormone, which is typically present in depressed people. In the Amsterdam study, individuals with major depressive disorders had parathyroid hormone levels up to 33 percent higher than those of non-depressed patients. The study suggested that the increase in parathyroid gland activity may be caused vitamin D deficiency, noting that parathyroid levels returned to normal and depression symptoms were alleviated or eliminated when vitamin D levels were increased. These findings could play an important role in geriatric medicine, since depression is a pervasive problem among the elderly. It is estimated that up to 20 percent of people over 65 experience depression symptoms, including sleep disturbances, body aches, lethargy, apathy, and feelings of sadness. Proving that vitamin D benefits depression could open a door to effective, affordable treatment for millions. The Amsterdam study is the latest of a number of studies to speculate that depression may be the consequence of poor vitamin D status. It has repeatedly been demonstrated that vitamin D deficiency is very common among the elderly, and it is suggested that since exposure to the sun stimulates the body to produce D vitamin, this could be due at least in part to the fact that many eldery people have decreased outdoor activity and thus less sun exposure. Could Vitamin D Benefits For Depression Make It A Viable Treatment Or Preventative? Though the Amsterdam study stopped short of verifying vitamin D supplementation as a depression treatment or preventative, it strongly asserted that vitamin D benefits depression and depression-associated conditions. Both low blood levels of vitamin D and high levels of parathyroid hormone are predictable indicators of depression, and both can be treated by adding D vitamin supplements or increasing sunlight exposure, suggesting that there is significant potential for using Vitamin D as a depression treatment. A growing body of research suggests that the vitamin D-depression link could be of enormous importance to people of all ages. For more information, visit Vitamin D Benefits.

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