"Depression
is a psychological disorder characterized by feelings of intense sadness,
despair, helplessness, loneliness and apathy....."
It may be "psychological" but it can also be physical - a vitamin d
deficiency and can easily explain why depression is more prevalent in the
Northern Climes. A vitamin d researcher at the UCLA hospital found that
even in sunny Southern California 80% of all of his new clients had a vitamin d
deficiency.
Before mixing up the blend of things that you have listed there, one should
first make sure they are getting enough vitamin d and a supplement of 5,000 IU
per day is not excessive. It takes time for d to build up in the body so
it should be given plenty of time to operate. Vitamin D3 is the same as
the d that is produced by the human body. By the way, it isn't a vitamin,
it's a hormone.
A number of studies report some connection between vitamin D levels and the
risk of depression. Low vitamin D levels may be related to depression rather
than contributing to the disorder. In addition, an increased risk of depression
may be related to several vitamin D–sensitive diseases. For example:
Elderly Dutch community residents with minor or major depression had
vitamin D blood levels that were 14% lower than residents without
depression.
Italian women with lower vitamin D levels - less than 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L)
- had twice the risk of developing depression. For Italian men, the risk was
increased 60%.
Postmenopausal women with one vertebrae fracture had 20% more depressive
symptoms than women without a fracture. Women with at least three vertebrae
fractures had three-fold the rate of depression compared to women without
multiple fractures. Low vitamin D levels are an important risk factor for
vertebral fracture.
Syrian women with heart disease, high blood pressure, or kidney disease
were three times more likely to have depression. Syrian men with rheumatism
and respiratory disease had an even greater risk of depression. There is
good evidence that low vitamin D levels are a risk factor for all of these
diseases.
A lifetime history of depression may be a risk factor for later
development of Alzheimer's disease. Depression may increase the risk of mild
cognitive impairment that turns into Alzheimer's. Patients with
Alzheimer’s and depression have more pronounced hallmarks of the
Alzheimer’s brain than patients with Alzheimer’s who are not depressed.
Studies indicate vitamin D deficiency may also be a risk factor in
Alzheimer’s.
One study showed that, in the United States, vitamin D deficiency occurred
more often in certain people. These people were African-Americans, living in
cities, obese, and depressed. People with vitamin D levels below 20 ng/mL
(50 nmol/L) had an 85% increased risk of depression compared to those with
vitamin D levels greater than 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L).
How vitamin D works
Vitamin D may lower the risk of depression by:
Reducing the risk of diseases that may trigger depression, such as cancer,
cardiovascular disease, and multiple sclerosis.
Reducing the production of cytokines. Cytokines are proteins that increase
inflammation and have been shown to be a possible risk factor for
depression.
Prevention
There are no reported studies showing that vitamin D supplements reduce the
risk of depression. However, given the evidence, it is possible that vitamin D
could have a positive effect on those who suffer from depression.
Based on studies of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and influenza, vitamin D
levels above 40 ng/mL (100 nmol/L) may reduce the risk of depression.
Treatment
According to a recent review, treating vitamin D deficiency in people with
depression or other mental disorders may result in improvement in both long-term
health and quality of life. Reports confirm that vitamin D has a positive affect
on depression:
Women in Washington State increased their vitamin D levels to 47 ng/mL
(118 nmol/L) by taking 5000 IU of vitamin D each day during the winter. In
some of these women, their depressive symptoms lessened as indicated by the
decrease in their scores on a depression test.
Overweight and obese Norwegian women took 20,000 or 40,000 IU per week of
vitamin D and their symptoms of depression decreased. Their scores were also
lower on a depression test.
Based on studies of other diseases, vitamin D blood levels of 40–50 ng/mL
(100–125 nmol/L) appear to reduce the severity of depression.