Vitamin D and Depression: What You Need to Know About This Condition
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Vitamin D deficiency may be one of
the reasons why people experience depression. Read on to discover more about
this condition!
What are the sources of Vitamin D?
Sun exposure:
Vitamin D is a free divine grant
that only needs exposure to sunlight in the period from 10 am to 2 pm for a few
minutes 3 times a week.
Food sources of vitamin D:
Unfortunately, most food sources are
poor in vitamin D, except for some foods such as oily fish such as salmon,
mackerel, tuna, egg white, beef liver, mushrooms, and milk fortified with
vitamin D.
Does Drinking Milk Make Any Sense?
Drinking ice
cold milk as the no.1 source of calcium might make it sound appealing, or maybe
there was a study that found this very beneficial because it helped suppress
different kinds of disorders. But facts on these matters are still all over,
also there is no absolute certainty for or against that claim.
The official
recommendation is to appreciate milk; however, for health reasons, I avoid it
almost every day. Milk is a nutritionally empty food that, besides being loaded
with saturated fat and cholesterol, is spared of the many vitamin D that is
present in plenty in perfect nourishment and natural food like sunshine.
Milk, however,
houses a lot of calcium, but not a lot of other elements
How much vitamin D should I take?
Before the age of 70, a person needs
600-400 units per day. After the age of 70, he needs 800 units per day.
How Do You Know If You Have Insufficient Vitamin D Levels?
If the level of vitamin D in the
blood is less than 20 nanograms per milliliter, this is considered a deficiency
of vitamin D, while if the ratio reaches less than 12 nanograms per milliliter,
this is considered a severe deficiency.
Causes of Vitamin D deficiency?
Non-adequate exposure to the sun:
Because the body is covered most of
the time with clothes or staying in closed places for an extended period, such
as the elderly, patients in hospitals, and prisoners
Over the age of 50, the skin's
ability to absorb sunlight decreases
Dark-skinned people also have a
reduced ability to absorb the sun's rays
Vitamin D deficiency in food
Having digestive problems.
Such as wheat allergy, chronic enteritis
(Crohn's disease), or the process of diverting food to lose weight, all of which
reduce the absorption of vitamin D in the intestine.
Having cirrhosis of the liver.
The liver has a very important role in
the activation of vitamin D.
Having kidney failure.
As the kidneys have a key role in
completing the activation of vitamin D
Obesity.
As vitamin D is stolen from the
blood and stored inside the fat cells, obese patients need more vitamin D than
normal people.
Some medicines
Such as long-term use of laxatives
and cortisone
Vitamin D: Negative Impact on Health
Vitamin D is an
element involved with many important functions in the body. It is essential for
the absorption and transport of calcium and for the growth, health, and
function of the muscles and bones.
It also
contributes to a healthy metabolism, body temperature regulation, and blood
cell production. It plays an important role in cellular health, including blood
vessel cells and immune system cells.
Vitamin D deficiency leads to.
Pain in the bones of the body in general,
as the bones become fragile like glass and are therefore prone to fracture with
any simple fall.
Spontaneous repetitive falls
Muscle weakness, inability to walk,
and muscle cramps.
Depression and lack of effort
Studies have
shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with depression. High levels of
stress can cause vitamin D deficiency.
It has also
been found that vitamin D deficiency may be linked to postpartum depression.
Disruption of the immune system,
which leads to vulnerability to recurrent bacterial and viral infections and
some immune diseases and allergic diseases such as chest allergy, where
scientific research has proven a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and
nasal allergy, and that compensation for this deficiency leads to an increase
in the patient’s response to allergy drugs.
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked
to some cancers such as colon, breast, and prostate cancer
Vitamin D deficiency has also been
linked to hypertension, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and schizophrenia.
Some studies have also found that
treating vitamin D deficiency reduces mortality in general and deaths from
heart disease.
Symptoms of depression.
When
sadness and despair become persistent and are hard to control, it may be
depression. Depression alters your thoughts, feelings, and ability
to carry out daily tasks. It is more than just melancholy brought on by
difficulties and failures in life. It may make it difficult for you to work,
study, eat, sleep, or simply enjoy life. It might be stressful just to get
through the day.
Does Vitamin D have mood effects?
Vitamin D helps
to regulate mood through two primary mechanisms: It (1) increases the body’s
production of serotonin in the brain, and (2) relieves depression and improves
sleep.
A popular
theory about the way that vitamin D supports improved sleep is an interesting
one. In the science of sleep research, the advocates of this theory point to
the fact that there are what are called circadian rhythm genes (CRG)17
particular genes that help to regulate sleep cycles and could impact the body's
sleep optimization with the light of the rising Sun.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that people with low levels of vitamin D were twice as likely to suffer from a major depressive disorder compared to those with normal levels of vitamin D. Another study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that women who had lower levels of vitamin D were three times more likely to develop depression than women with high levels of vitamin D.
Pregnant or Lactating Women
VITAMIN D AND PREGNANCY
There is
evidence that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is associated with an increased
risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight (Woo et al, 2010). These
risks may be because vitamin D is necessary for proper fetal brain and skeletal
development. However, a recent Cochrane review of six studies involving
nearly 20,000 women found no evidence that vitamin D supplementation during
pregnancy reduces the risk of preterm delivery, low birth weight, or
preeclampsia (Woo et al, 2011). Also of note is the fact that women with
low vitamin D levels were more likely to have a low hemoglobin A1C during
pregnancy. Therefore, vitamin D supplementation may be beneficial to
pregnant women who have diabetes.
When do I get my vitamin D level tested?
In the event of bone or muscle pain
or muscle spasms and inability to move.
In the case of recurrent fractures
and spontaneous recurrent falls.
In case of constant stress and
depression.
Exposure to recurrent bacterial and
viral infections.
Obese patients
How to treat Vitamin D Deficiency?
How Can I Boost My Vitamin D Levels?
If you’re concerned about your vitamin D levels, there are several ways to boost them naturally. First, make sure you’re getting enough sun exposure. Sunlight helps produce vitamin D in your skin. Second, eat foods rich in vitamin D such as fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel), eggs, fortified milk products, and some breakfast cereals. Third, take a supplement containing 400 IU per day. Finally, use sunscreen when you go outside.
Vitamin D supplementation:
- If the vitamin D level is between 12-20
nanograms per milliliter:
Vitamin D is given in a dose of 1000-800 units daily for 3 months,
then vitamin D is re-analyzed to ensure that the normal rate is reached.
- If the vitamin D level is
less than 12 nanograms per milliliter:
It is preferable to give
vitamin D in a dose of 50,000 units per week, then re-analyze vitamin D after 3
months to ensure that the normal rate is reached, then the patient continues
the dose of 800 units per day.
- As for cases of malabsorption
or cases of diversion to treat obesity, it may need much larger doses to reach
normal rates.
Other Ways to Treat Depression.
There are other natural treatments
for depression that you might not have heard of. One of these is magnesium.
Magnesium is an essential mineral found in food and supplements. It plays a
role in nerve function, muscle contraction, blood pressure regulation, and bone
growth. In addition, it has been shown to help reduce symptoms of anxiety and
depression.
Prevention of Vitamin D deficiency:
Exposure to the sun for a few
minutes 3 times a week
Eat plenty of foods that contain
vitamin D
A preventive dose can be given to the elderly and people who remain in closed places for long periods without exposure to sunlight (such as home insulation during the time of Covid19) 600-400 units of vitamin D for people under 70 years old and 800 units for people over 70 years old.
Conclusion:
Vitamin D is vital to the human body
and its deficiency can lead to a lot of health problems including depression. Sun
exposure and a healthy diet rich in vitamin d are sufficient to replenish your
body storage. I hope I answered your questions. I will leave you now with a subtitled
video about the same topic.