Vitamin D And Your Mood – The Connection

Do you feel depressed sometimes in the fall and winter? Are cloudy or rainy days bothering you? This pervasive feeling that affects your mood could be due to a vitamin D deficiency due to decreased sun exposure. Because in these times of the year you spend fewer hours outdoors than in summer.

But can a lack of sunshine actually cause such a change in your mood? Yes indeed! Vitamin D plays an important role as a regulator of neurotransmitters that have to do with your mood.

In today’s article you will learn more about this vitamin and the effects a deficiency can have on your body. In addition, we explain what you can do to maintain optimal vitamin D levels in the body.

What do we know about vitamin D?

Vitamins are substances that enable the body to function properly. In the case of vitamin D, its main function is to regulate calcium and phosphate levels in the blood. This is crucial for the formation of the skeleton.

Low values ​​can lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Another function of this vitamin is to modulate the immune system and promote the conversion of monocytes into macrophages.

You can get this vitamin in three different ways:

• Through foods like cod liver oil and oily fish like tuna, salmon, mackerel and sardines, all of which contain significant amounts of this vitamin. You can also get this vitamin from beef liver, egg yolk, and wild mushrooms, albeit in smaller amounts.
• About dietary supplements
• And finally, when you are in the sun, you can absorb it through your skin. By skin synthesis of the sun’s UVB rays, you get the greatest amount of this vitamin.

What role does vitamin D play in your mood?

There is evidence that vitamin D regulates an enzyme that converts tryptophan into serotonin. Serotonin is important because of its role in regulating mood (it improves mood, reduces aggressiveness and impulsiveness, etc.). It is also involved in the development of an embryo’s brain during pregnancy.

In addition, there is a clear correlation between vitamin D deficiency and seasonal affective disorders, which studies show that 10% of the population suffers. This also explains the beneficial effects of light therapy on patients suffering from this disorder.

Although no causal connection has yet been established, there seems to be a connection between a vitamin deficiency and an increased occurrence of depressive and anxiety-related symptoms.

It is actually very difficult to find out whether vitamin D deficiency is the cause of depression or depression is the cause of vitamin deficiency. Mainly due to lower exposure to ultraviolet rays and a lack of effort to maintain proper nutrition. Therefore, so far only the coexistence of these two states could be verified. As a result, there are no studies to prove the effectiveness of vitamin supplements in relieving symptoms of depression.

In addition to the emotional symptoms mentioned , the lack of this vitamin can also be related to the occurrence of other mental health problems, such as:

Alzheimer’s disease

You probably know that the origin of this cruel disease is still unknown and a multi-causal origin is suspected. However, research has shown that people who are vitamin D deficient have a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Again, this is a disorder of multi-causal origin, as there is no single known cause. However, due to the role of vitamin D and serotonin in brain development, deficiencies could affect the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

There is evidence that taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy can reduce the risk of developing ASA.

Psychoses

A study conducted in the UK showed that subjects who had an initial psychotic episode had significantly lower levels of vitamin D than healthy subjects.

Other studies conducted in Finland found that young men who took this vitamin as a dietary supplement were three times less likely to develop psychosis than those who did not.

Dear sun, please shine for me!

You now know that it has not yet been possible to say with certainty whether a vitamin D deficiency is the cause of mental disorders. But the health benefits of sun exposure and its effects on mood are well known.

Therefore, you can and should increase your vitamin D production as much as possible by regularly spending time outdoors even in winter (although clothing sometimes prevents the sun from getting directly on your skin).

This is especially important for older people, as they spend more time indoors. In addition to all of the above-mentioned functions, vitamin D is also important for maintaining bone mass. You should therefore make sure that the elderly in your household are also regularly exposed to ultraviolet solar radiation. However, you should be careful and measured when doing this.

We would also like to remind you of a healthy diet, especially in the months when sun exposure is limited. Therefore, especially during this time, you should eat more foods that contain a lot of vitamin D. If you suspect that you have a deficiency, the best thing to do is to contact your doctor, who can tell you which nutritional supplements are best for you.