| Does Vitamin D Boost Your Mood?-A Comprehensive Review Related Links Foods to Boost Your Mood Salt May Boost Your Mood -But Medical Authorities Don't Recommend It How to Feel Better-10 Tips That Work Something So Right-Get Used to Happiness How Much Is Too Much Salt? Foods That Help You Lose Weight How to Get Rid of Those Dark Circles Foods That Help Treat Acne Natural Home Remedies for Headaches Quick Start Diet Small Steps to Lose Big Pounds July 21, 2010 By Sarah Norton, Staff Columnist The evidence on how Vitamin D affects your mood is unclear. You may have seen recommendations to eat foods high in Vitamin D to combat depression. These reports were based on early studies, in particular a 2007 study from Ireland, that linked low Vitamin D levels with increased incidences of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Now, new research studies have cast serious doubt on a link between Vitamin D and your mood. A new 2010 study from the University of Cambridge in London has found no link whatsoever between the amount of Vitamin D in your body and your mood. The 2010 study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Dr. Oscar Franco, an Assistant Professor in Public Health. The team examined the health records of 3000 people and tested the amount of Vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) present in their blood. Conclusion? They found no link between symptoms of depression and the levels of Vitamin D in your blood. As the study noted: “Few studies have explored the association between blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and depression in the general population, " said Dr. Franco. “Previous studies into the effects of vitamin D supplementation have produced mixed results. More studies are still needed to evaluate whether vitamin D is associated with seasonal affective disorders, but our study does raise questions about the effects of taking more vitamin D to combat depressive symptoms.” Why Is the Evidence on Vitamin D and Mood So Mixed? Why did the 2010 study and the early studies reach opposite conclusions? The answer may lie in the number of people examined. The 2007 study only examined 75 people. That study, conducted by a team of doctors from the Department of Rheumatology, Musgrave Hospital in Belfast Ireland, asked 75 patients to answer a questionaire to determine whether they were depressed. The doctors then drew blood from the 75 patients to determine their levels of Vitamin D (25- hydroxyvitamin D). They found that 10 of the patients has deficient levels of Vitamin D, 42 had Vitamin D levels somewhat lower than recommended and 23 had normal Vitamin D levels. When they compared the charts of Vitamin D levels with the answers to the questionnaire on depression, they discovered a high correlation between patients with low Vitamin D levels and symptoms of depression. Later studies have criticized this 2007 study because of small number of people examined and because it did not conclusively establish a link between the answers n the questionnaire and the low levels of Vitamin D. Could the patients have been depressed because of the low level of some other vitamin or compound in their diets? More research is clearly needed to settle this issue. What form of Vitamin D should you take, if any? What should you do, in the meantime? Since Vitamin D is not toxic to your body at recommended levels ---about 1000 to 5000 mg a day— you should ensure that you are either getting enough exposure to daylight, and you should take a supplement of Vitamin D. Also, be aware that not all Vitamin D supplement contain the form of Vitamin D which researchers have linked to improvements in mood. Vitamin D occurs in 2 forms, Vitamin D-3 (also known as cholecalciferol) and Vitamin D-2 (ergocalciferol). Only Vitamin D-3 has been linked with improvements in your mood. You're just getting started. Find out more foods that keep you healthy, your skin young, and that speed up your metabolism: Foods That Boost Your Mood / How to Feel Better -10 Practical Tips That Work / Salt May Boost Your Mood / / Foods That Speed Up Your Metabolism / Foods That Fight Wrinkles / What to Eat for Flawless Skin /Natural Body Cleanses |
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