Kristi Whitley

Healthy Living

D-fense Against D-pression

Take a look at PubMed, the government's online data base of clinical studies and you will find thousands of articles on Vitamin D and all manner of malididies. However, because Vitamin D is an inexpensive and harmless tool, clinical trials are few and far between. They are even fewer in the US where medical studies are funded by pharmaceutical companies. 

A study from the Journal of Immunology in 2004 found that Vitamin D3 had the ability to effect anti-microbial gene expression 

PLoS One. 2015; 10(9): e0138550.

"Low vitamin D levels are frequent in hospitalized patients with a current episode of depression."

While, the vitamin D group had greater reduction in depression scores than the control group at 38–40 weeks of gestation (p = 0.01) also, at 4 and 8 weeks after birth (p < 0.001).

Journal of Diabetes Res. 2017; 2017: 8232863.

"This proof-of-concept study found that weekly administration of 50,000 IU D2 in women with T2DM who had significant depressive symptoms and low 25 (OH) D levels had an improvement in depression, anxiety, and mental health outcomes."

Nutrients. 2017 Aug; 9(8): 799. 
"In conclusion, our results suggest that 40,000 IU of vitamin D2 supplementation reduced oxidative protein damage, improved quality of life, and improved grip strength and physical performance."

Vitamin D supplementation may reduce the number of falls among the elderly. There is also likely an overall reduction in the number of “fallers”

The best available evidence shows an apparent reduction in fractures associated with vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency in both parents may influence adverse pregnancy outcomes and susceptibility to developing disease in adult life and even into the next generation.

 It is important to note that the association between depression and vitamin D in men was observed at a relatively low level of serum 25(OH)D (<30 nmol/l). In northern latitudes, maintaining vitamin D levels above 30 nmol/l may protect older adults against adverse health conditions which are associated with depression.

Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency occur at high rates in healthy young women, and lower vitamin D3levels are related to clinically significant depressive symptoms.

With vitamin D deficiency reaching epidemic proportions worldwide, there is now concern that optimal levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream are also necessary to preserve the neurological development and protect the adult brain.