Depression is a major public health problem, especially in women. Recent statistics indicate that approximately 63% of American women and 35% of men will experience clinical depression at some point in their lifetime. While depression is clearly a multifactorial disorder, new research from Oregon State University shows that low blood levels of vitamin D are associated with clinically significant symptoms of depression in otherwise healthy individuals. A number of population-based studies indicate that low levels of vitamin D may contribute to depression. Possible mechanisms include that there are receptor sites for vitamin D distributed in brain areas involved in the processing of emotions. Vitamin D also regulates the manufacture of key brain chemicals like serotonin that are involved in the regulation of mood. Vitamin D also dampens the inflammatory response in the brain looked at as a key influencer in influencing mood by activating the stress response. Several studies have looked at the association between vitamin D sufficiency status and depression, but these studies were inconclusive.
In addition, there have also been clinical trials where vitamin D supplementation was used to try to alleviate the depression in subjects with low vitamin D levels. These studies have also been inconclusive. In addition to evaluating the role of vitamin D in depression, there is some evidence that it plays a central role in seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and seasonality (the milder spectrum of sensitivity of mood and behavior to seasonal changes). The so-called “winter blues.” To further evaluate the role of vitamin D in depression, female undergraduate students living in the Pacific Northwest during fall, winter, and spring academic terms completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale weekly for 4 weeks. The women also had their blood levels for vitamin D3 and C determined. Lower vitamin D3 levels predicted clinically significant depressive symptoms. There was some evidence that lower levels of depressive symptoms in Fall participants (vs. Winter and Spring) were explained by their higher levels of vitamin D3.
These findings are consistent with other studies showing association between low levels of vitamin D and symptoms of depression. Noting that vitamin D supplementation is a low-cost, simple and low-risk intervention, the researchers recommended that the preventive value of D3 supplementation be tested. This new study adds to the growing evidence on the importance of vitamin D3 in human nutrition. Most adults need to be supplementing with 2,000 to 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 each day, depending on their sun exposure. In addition to vitamin D3, an insufficiency of the long chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in fish oils has also been linked to depression. Studies have also reported that countries with high rates of fish oil consumption have low rates of depressive disorder. Because the brain is the richest source of fats in the human body and proper nerve cell function is critically dependent on proper cell membrane function, the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids are thought to be primarily due to improving cell membrane function.
Studies have shown that the fish oils impact the physical properties of cell membranes thereby influencing membrane fluidity; neurotransmitter synthesis and binding as well as the uptake of serotonin and other neurotransmitters. Bottom line is that fish oils rich in EPA+ DHA provides powerful nutritional support for brain health and a positive mood. In depression, the recommended dosage is 3,000 mg EPA+DHA daily. Kerr DC, Zava DT, Piper WT, et al. Associations between vitamin D levels and depressive symptoms in healthy young adult women. Psychiatry Res. 2015 Mar 5. It's that time of year when darkness descends like a heavy blanket beginning in mid-afternoon in much of the country. For some people, it also brings a desire to stay in bed and wait for spring. Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, affects an estimated 6% of Americans, causing depression, lethargy, irritability and a desire to avoid social situations. It can also create an urge to overeat, particularly carbohydrates.
As many as 15% of people in the U.S. may have a milder version that includes only some of these symptoms.... Legal Eagles Love 'My Cousin Vinny' Listing of the Day: Boca Raton Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan Discusses New Album and Tour Tot Throws Tantrum in Front of the Queen of England The Dutch Prime Minister’s Battle Against a Voter BacklashVitamin D deficiency, depression linked in UGA-led international study Athens, Ga. - Vitamin D deficiency is not just harmful to physical health—it also might impact mental health, according to a team of researchers that has found a link between seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, and a lack of sunlight. "Rather than being one of many factors, vitamin D could have a regulative role in the development of SAD," said Alan Stewart of the University of Georgia College of Education. An international research partnership between UGA, the University of Pittsburgh and the Queensland University of Technology in Australia reported the finding in the November 2014 issue of the journal Medical Hypotheses.
Stewart and Michael Kimlin from QUT's School of Public Health and Social Work conducted a review of more than 100 leading articles and found a relationship between vitamin D and seasonal depression. "Seasonal affective disorder is believed to affect up to 10 percent of the population, depending upon geographical location, and is a type of depression related to changes in season," said Stewart, an associate professor in the department of counseling and human development services. "People with SAD have the same symptoms every year, starting in fall and continuing through the winter months." Stewart said, based on the team's investigations, vitamin D was likely to be a contributing factor in seasonal depression. "We believe there are several reasons for this, including that vitamin D levels fluctuate in the body seasonally, in direct relation to seasonally available sunlight," he said. "For example, studies show there is a lag of about eight weeks between the peak in intensity of ultraviolet radiation and the onset of SAD, and this correlates with the time it takes for UV radiation to be processed by the body into vitamin D.
Vitamin D is also involved in the synthesis of serotonin and dopamine within the brain, both chemicals linked to depression, according to the researchers. "Evidence exists that low levels of dopamine and serotonin are linked to depression, therefore it is logical that there may be a relationship between low levels of vitamin D and depressive symptoms," said Kimlin, a Cancer Council Queensland Professor of Cancer Prevention Research. "Studies have also found depressed patients commonly had lower levels of vitamin D." Vitamin D levels varied according to the pigmentation of the skin. People with dark skin often record lower levels of vitamin D, according to the researchers. "Therefore it is suggested that persons with greater skin pigmentation may experience not only higher risks of vitamin D deficiency, but also be at greater risk of psychological and psychiatric conditions," he said. Kimlin, who heads QUT's National Health and Medical Research Council Centre for Research Excellence in Sun and Health, said adequate levels of vitamin D were essential in maintaining bone health, with deficiency causing osteomalacia in adults and rickets in children.