Depressive Disorders affect approximately 18.8 million American adults—about 9.5% of the U.S. population age 18 and older—in a given year. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports: “Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings are usually fleeting and pass within a couple of days. When a person has a depressive disorder, it interferes with daily life, normal functioning, and causes pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about him or her. Depression is a common but serious illness, and most who experience it need treatment to get better.”

Both men and women over the age of 65 have an increased risk of depressive symptoms if they have low vitamin D levels, with the association stronger in women than men, according to findings published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

“Understanding the potential causal pathway between vitamin D deficiency and depression requires further research,” wrote the researchers, led by Luigi Ferrucci from the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA).

How do you get Vitamin D?

The D vitamin is the only vitamin that is not obtained from foods that are consumed. Instead, the D vitamin is actually obtained by sunlight on the skin. There has been a lot of media coverage about the dangers of getting too much sun but it is essential that the skin is exposed to sunlight to obtain the recommended daily allowance of the D vitamin. In reality, the amount of time that a person has to spend in the sun to receive a sufficient dose of the D vitamin is extremely small and just a few minutes a day will be sufficient and not have any adverse effects from the amount of ultra-violet light received.

The World Health Organization (WHO) forecasts that within 20 years more people will be affected by depression than any other health problem; it ranks depression as a leading cause of disability worldwide, with around 120 million people affected.

How does Vitamn D work?

The variant of the D vitamin that is formed under the skin is known as vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol. This D vitamin is created when the ultraviolet in the sunlight reacts with a type of cholesterol that is found under the skin naturally. The D3 is converted into a more active form of the D vitamin in the liver and is then diverted to where it is needed the most. Some of the D vitamin remains in the liver and kidneys to help reabsorb the calcium from the blood. The rest of the D vitamin is dispersed to the bones to help them retain their calcium and the intestines to aid absorption of calcium from food.

Is Vitamin D related to Depression?

This is not the first time vitamin D has been linked to symptoms of depression. Dutch scientists reported in 2008 in the Archives of General Psychiatry that low levels of the vitamin and higher blood levels of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) were associated with higher rates of depression among 1,282 community residents aged between 65 and 95.

Furthermore, a review by Bruce Ames and Joyce McCann from the Children’s Hospital and Research Center Oakland highlighted the role of the vitamin in maintaining brain health, noting the wide distribution of vitamin D receptors throughout the brain.

What about Vitamin D Suppliments?

Even though the majority of the D vitamin is formed through the exposure of the skin to sunlight there are some foods that do contain some of the vitamin naturally. This form of the D vitamin is known as vitamin D2, or ergocalciferol. This is used in the same way as the other D vitamins and is the type used to create the majority of D vitamin supplements.

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How can vitamin D affect depression?

Dr. Marc Sorenson, EdD explains how can vitamin D affect depression.

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OTHER BLOGS!

Depression & Vitamin D: The Emerging Link | Longevity Medicine

This is the reason why a causal pathway must be mapped out to determine just how this vitamin affects the human brain. In a fourth related study, researchers McCann and Arnes noted that vitamin D is important for the proper functioning …

Publish Date: 06/04/2010 4:17

http://www.longevitymedicine.tv/depression-vitamin-d-the-emerging-link/

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Undoing Depression | Counseling Mom

I take vitamin D and it facility just as well as any antidepressant and if taken in moderation has no side things. You get D from the sun normally, but since I live in a northern climate, we don’t get enough of it, especially in winter. … Do you reckon it may possibly have the same kind of effect with other kinds of stimuli like food or perfumes or even specific endeavours like relaxation (which would also demonstrate why people like Legatus place themselves in states …

Publish Date: 06/04/2010 0:02

http://www.counselingmom.com/depression/undoing-depression

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Are You Having Nutritional Deficiency? | vitamin d deficiency symptoms

G. Nutrient: Vitamin C Symptoms: Bleeding gums, depression, easy bruising, impaired wound healing, irritability, joint pains, loose teeth, malaise, and tiredness. I’m now interested about health-related issues and use my spare time …

Publish Date: 06/03/2010 20:00

http://www.vitamin-d-deficiency-symptoms.com/are-you-having-nutritional-deficiency.html