Vitamin D May Ease Depression

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Vitamin D May Ease Depression

 

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Vitamin D May Ease Depression

 

Low Blood Levels of Vitamin D May Be Linked to Cause of Depression

 

By Sid  Kirchheimer 

 

Reviewed By Brunilda  Nazario, MD

on Tuesday, August 03, 2004

 

WebMD Medical News 

 

Aug. 2, 2004 -- Vitamin D supplementation, shown in recent studies to

help lower risk of certain cancers, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and

other conditions, may also relieve depression, according to new

research.

 

Canadian researchers say the benefit of supplementation may come in

creating stores of this vital vitamin in the bloodstream to carry people

through the dreary months of winter, when a lack of sunlight may lead to

or worsen mood disorders -- most notably seasonal affective disorder,

the aptly acronymed SAD that affects some 11 million Americans.

 

Patients with this so-called " winter depression " are advised to treat

the condition with a special " light box " that mimics the effects of

sunlight during winter months.

 

Problem From Low Blood Levels?

 

For this study, published in the July issue of Nutrition Journal, the

researchers first identified 130 patients whose blood levels of vitamin

D in the summer were considered normal -- about 24 ng/mL.

However, some researchers believe that many Americans are vitamin

D-deficient and that their blood level may be too low.

 

" If a patient measures at 24 ng/mL or less in the summer, it will likely

drop to 16 ng/mL in the winter because the value you have in the summer

is greater than what you'll have in February, " says lead researcher

Reinhold Vieth, PhD, a vitamin D researcher at Mt. Sinai Hospital in

Toronto.

 

He then gave those patients a questionnaire to gauge their likelihood of

depression. Those whose answers suggested a strong possibility of

depression were then given supplements containing a daily dose of either

600 or 4,000 international units (IUs) of Vitamin D. They started taking

the supplements in summer and continued through the winter.

The patients were re-evaluated a year later. With both doses, patients

suffering from depression improved as their vitamin D levels increased

to at least 40 ng/mL, what some vitamin D researchers recommend as a

normal blood level.

 

" If I were to provide advice, I would say that anyone in North America

should be able to walk into any drug store and buy 1,000 IU vitamin D

supplements. And if you consume those supplements every day, you should

feel better, " Vieth tells WebMD. " It appeared that instead of feeling

worse in the winter, they actually felt better with the supplements. "

 

How Much Is Enough?

 

The Institute of Medicine recommends 200 IU a day up to the age of 50,

400 IU from 51 to 70, and 600 IU over age 70. About 100 IU are found in

an 8 ounce glass of fortified milk. Other nutritional sources of Vitamin

D include:

 

Canned pink salmon: 3 ounces contain about 530 IU of Vitamin D

 

Canned sardines: 3 ounces contain about 231 IU of Vitamin D

 

Fortified orange juice: 8 ounces contain about 100 IU of vitamin D

 

Fortified cereal: 1 serving (about 1 cup) contains about 40-50 IU of

vitamin D

 

In his study, Vieth found benefit from both dosages, although those

taking 4,000 IU -- 10 times higher than what it found in most

multivitamin supplements -- showed the most benefit.

 

" If you were to take 600 IUs forever, you'd be doing fine, " he says.

" But if you haven't taken supplements, taking the 4,000 dose over one

winter is better. "

 

These findings come as no surprise to John Cannell, MD, who heads the

Vitamin D Council, a group of doctors and researchers who study the

effects of this nutrient. He is staff psychiatrist at Atascadero State

Hospital, a California psychiatric hospital.

 

" Basically, what vitamin D does is increase levels of the [chemical]

serotonin in the brain, " he tells WebMD. Many antidepressant medications

work the same way.

 

" About 90% of patients in my hospital are vitamin D deficient, and I put

them on a vitamin D regimen, and it does improve their mood disorders, "

says Cannell. " It also raises their vitamin D blood levels to above what

is considered normal, to about the 40 ng/mL levels. "

 

Don't Stop Other Medication

 

His advice: First get a simple blood test to measure blood levels of

vitamin D. If it falls under 40 ng/mL, he recommends taking daily

supplements of at least 600 IU and up to 10,000 IU a day. However, if

you are currently taking antidepressants, don't stop taking those drugs

if you begin taking the vitamin supplements.

 

" What this study suggests that is vitamin D deficiency may be an

explanation for depression, and that boosting vitamin D levels may help

prevent or ease symptoms, " Cannell tells WebMD. " But how much vitamin D

you need depends on several factors, such as the environment you live

in, what time of year it is, your skin type, and sun exposure.

 

" Taking 4,000 IUs may sound like a lot, but there has never been a

single reported case of toxicity at levels up to 20,000 IUs a day, " he

says. " Your body takes in about that much from sunlight by spending 20

minutes outdoors ... during the summer months. The problem is what

happens in winter, when sunlight -- and vitamin D -- is in shorter

supply. "

 

SOURCES: Vieth, R. Nutrition Journal, July 2004; vol 3. Reinhold Vieth,

PhD, director, Osteoporosis Research Center Pathology and Laboratory

Medicine, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto. John Cannell, MD, staff

psychiatrist, Atascadero State Hospital, Atascadero, Calif.; president,

The Vitamin D Council.

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