A new meta study that’s getting a lot of attention, published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, suggests that vitamin D supplementation is more effective than a placebo in alleviating symptoms of depression.
It’s the largest study of studies yet, and adds some strength to the notion that Vitamin D might be helpful — perhaps due to its potential to regulate central nervous system functions.
The typical effective dose in the studies ranged between 2,000 and 4,000 IU’s per day.
The authors suggest that future research should dig further into the possible benefits of combining Vitamin D with standard treatments in treating depression.
Two points.
First, it’s always incredibly important to speak with your doctor before beginning any supplementation (the Mayo Clinic notes that Vitamin D supplementation can interfere with a number of different drugs).
And second, as the study’s author notes, “the certainty of evidence remains low due to the heterogeneity of the populations studied and due to the risk of bias associated with a large number of studies.”
In fact, a large, randomized clinical study from 2020 found no benefit to vitamin D supplementation to ward off depression in adults over 50 years old.
The Mayo Clinic points out how important Vitamin D is for other aspects of health.
Depression might be one. Or it might not.
More specific research is needed, but this new study of studies offers a good reason to look into it further.
Find a psychiatrist here.
Find a therapist here.
[Painting: Woman Before the Rising Sun, Friedrich]
