Statistical analysis on a large
population finds, as expected, a correlation between present low vitamin D
levels and current symptoms of depression.
I suspect that some folks are also way more sensitive than usual, but
that idea is not shown.
It is wintertime and taking the supplements
is rather sensible. In fact the lack of
sun exposure for most of us means we need to all be on them. I personally take 2000 IU every day.
Too much is no risk.
As this article reports a wide
range of chronic conditions appear affected by low vitamin D and this alone
makes supplementation a wise choice even if you are fortunate and are not affected
by depression. It is one of those wide
spectrum nutrients that the body needs plenty of as is vitamin C, that we are simply not getting sufficient of.
Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Depression
Released: 1/5/2012 11:20 AM EST
DALLAS – Jan. 5, 2012 – Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to
depression, according to UT Southwestern Medical Center psychiatrists working
with the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study. It is believed to be the largest
such investigation ever undertaken.
Low levels of vitamin D already are associated with a cavalcade of
health woes from cardiovascular diseases to neurological ailments. This new
study – published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings – helps clarify a debate
that erupted after smaller studies produced conflicting results about the
relationship between vitamin D and depression. Major depressive disorder
affects nearly one in 10 adults in the U.S.
“Our findings suggest that screening for vitamin D levels in depressed
patients – and perhaps screening for depression in people with low vitamin D
levels – might be useful,” said Dr. E. Sherwood Brown, professor of psychiatry
and senior author of the study, done in conjunction with The Cooper Institute
in Dallas
UT Southwestern researchers examined the results of almost 12,600
participants from late 2006 to late 2010. Dr. Brown and colleagues from The
Cooper Institute found that higher vitamin D levels were associated with a
significantly decreased risk of current depression, particularly among people
with a prior history of depression. Low vitamin D levels were associated
with depressive symptoms, particularly those with a history of depression,
so primary care patients with a history of depression may be an important target
for assessing vitamin D levels. The study did not address whether increasing
vitamin D levels reduced depressive symptoms.
The scientists have not determined the exact relationship – whether low
vitamin D contributes to symptoms of depression, whether depression itself
contributes to lower vitamin D levels, or chemically how that happens. But
vitamin D may affect neurotransmitters, inflammatory markers and other factors,
which could help explain the relationship with depression, said Dr. Brown, who leads
the psychoneuroendocrine research program at UT Southwestern.
Vitamin D levels are now commonly tested during routine physical exams,
and they already are accepted as risk factors for a number of other medical
problems: autoimmune diseases; heart and vascular disease; infectious diseases;
osteoporosis; obesity; diabetes; certain cancers; and neurological disorders
such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, multiple sclerosis, and general
cognitive decline.
Investigators used information gathered by the institute, which has 40
years of data on runners and other fit volunteers. UT Southwestern has a
partnership with the institute, a preventive medicine research and educational
nonprofit located at the Cooper Aerobics Center, to develop a joint scientific
medical research program aimed at improving health and preventing a wide range
of chronic diseases. The institute maintains one of the world’s most extensive
databases – known as the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study – that includes
detailed information from more than 250,000 clinic visits that has been
collected since Dr. Kenneth Cooper founded the institute and clinic in 1970.
Other researchers involved in the study were Dr. Myron F. Weiner,
professor of psychiatry and neurology and neurotherapeutics; Dr. David S.
Leonard, assistant professor of clinical sciences; lead author MinhTu T. Hoang,
student research fellow; Dr. Laura F. DeFina, medical director of research at
The Cooper Institute; and Benjamin L. Willis, epidemiologist at the institute.
Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/mentalhealth to
learn more about clinical services in psychiatry at UT Southwestern.
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