There is a link between vitamin D deficiency and depression. However, as of this time, researchers don’t believe vitamin D deficiency is a direct cause of depression. So, what do you need to know about vitamin D and depression?

What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a member of a group of fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins D1, D2, and D3.

When exposed to sunlight, vitamin D naturally synthesizes throughout the body. However, to maintain optimal levels in your bloodstream, you can also receive vitamin D from certain foods and supplements.

How Does Vitamin D Effect the Body?

Vitamin D receptors can be found in the following: ¹

• Brain
• Heart
• Immune system
• Muscles

When absorbed, vitamin D is brought to the kidneys and liver and turned into an active hormone. Once in this form, it can help the body in absorbing calcium. ²

Vitamin D Deficiency

Low levels of vitamin D can contribute to several mental health concerns in adults, these include the following: ³

• Depression
• Schizophrenia
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

Furthermore, it may lead to following health problems:

• Bone softening
• Cancer
• Heart Disease
• Low bone density
• Rickets in children

Who’s at Risk of Vitamin D Deficiency?

Most of the world’s population is at risk of vitamin D deficiency. Still, those with higher risk levels either live far from the equator or struggle with one of the following conditions: ⁴

• Celiac
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease

Furthermore, the elderly and people with darker skin struggle more with vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms

If you struggle with vitamin D deficiency, you may develop symptoms similar to depression: ⁵

• Anxiety
• Difficulty with sleep
• Fatigue
• Forgetfulness
• Lack of appetite
• Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
• Mood changes (i.e. lean towards hopelessness and sadness)
• Suicidal ideation (i.e. thoughts and actions)
• Weight gain or loss

If you struggle with any of these symptoms, you should have your vitamin D levels checked. Your healthcare provider can run a blood test to determine if your levels are in an adequate zone.

If you think you struggle with depression, you will need a self-assessment test. Depression cannot be determined by a blood test or low levels of vitamin D.

Vitamin D and Depression: What You Need to Know

Depression is a mental health condition that causes changes in your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Symptoms include the following: ⁶

• Difficulty with focus as well as concentration
• Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
• Sleep disorders (i.e. insomnia)
• Social isolation (as well as social withdrawal)
• Suicidal tendencies or ideations

Plenty of research shows a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and depression. ⁷ Not to mention, vitamin D deficiency is linked seasonal depression – a type of depression that occurs in the winter months when there’s less sunlight. ⁸

What Does the Research Say?

While current research sees a correlation in vitamin D deficiency and depression, it does not prove that vitamin D causes depression. ⁹ Instead, research has found that vitamin D supplements do show a positive improvement in people who struggle with depressive symptoms. ¹⁰

Are Vitamin D Deficiency and Depression Linked?

Still, if vitamin D deficiency doesn’t directly cause depression, then how are the two linked? Researchers note that people at risk of depression are also more likely to have vitamin D deficiency.

So, who are these people? Generally speaking, they’re people of the following categories: ¹¹

• Adolescents (i.e. ages 12 to 21)
• Elderly (i.e. adults 65 and older)
• Individuals with a chronic illness
• People with obesity (i.e. 30 BMI or higher)

Since these populations are all at risk of vitamin D deficiency, they’re also at risk of depression.

Potential Causes of This Connection

To get more specific, we’ve noted that people with depression are more likely to develop social withdrawal (i.e. loneliness). As such, they may also spend less time outside and receive less exposure to vitamin D.

Furthermore, people with depression tend to struggle with taking care of themselves. Therefore, they may not eat properly and receive the proper amount of vitamin D through nutrition.

Vitamin D Dosage Recommendation

Before you figure out how much vitamin D to take, you need to determine how low your vitamin D is. Typically, you want to aim for a level of 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL). Not to mention, levels below 30 nmol/L (12 ng/mL) are too low, and levels above 125 nmol/L (50 ng/mL) are too high.

As for an exact dosage, a study by MedicalNewsToday found that supplements 2,000 IU are effective in treating depression. Still, it’s important to keep in mind that you need to take vitamin D daily to garner its benefits.

Vitamin D Safety and Side Effects

You should NOT take more than 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day. Such high doses can cause vitamin D toxicity and result in the following side effects: ¹²

• Digestive problems (i.e. abdominal pain)
• High calcium levels
• Kidney stones
• Neurological changes (i.e. confusion or altered levels of consciousness)

If you’re already on depression medication, you should consult a doctor before taking vitamin D.

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Vitamin D and Depression Reviews

Looking for the perfect supplement for depression as well as your immune health? Consider the following vitamin D products:

While Nature Made has a wide selection of vitamin D supplements, our favorite was the Super D. Besides the dose of vitamin D3, you also get zinc, selenium, and copper – all of which may also ease depressive symptoms.

If capsules aren’t your thing, Cymbiotika offers a liposomal liquid that can be swallowed or placed into your favorite beverage. Each dose is 12 pumps and comes with vitamin D3, K2 MK4, K2 MK7, and CoQ10 to increase calcium absorption.

Another non-capsule option are vitamin D3 gummies. We chose Nature’s Bounty as these contain the optimal 2,000 IU (50mcg) per serving and are made with delicious flavors. Furthermore, all gummies go through lab-testing to ensure quality and safety.

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Final Word

While vitamin D deficiency isn’t a direct cause of depression, supplements may help regulate your mood. As a result, this may decrease depressive symptoms. Still, you cannot cure depression with vitamin D.

If you plan to take a vitamin D supplement, you should consult your doctor beforehand as certain populations may be at risk of vitamin D toxicity.

Vitamin D and Depression FAQs

References

¹ Fleet JC. The role of vitamin D in the endocrinology controlling calcium homeostasis. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2017 Sep 15;453:36-45. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.04.008. Epub 2017 Apr 9. PMID: 28400273; PMCID: PMC5529228.

² DeLuca HF. The metabolism and functions of vitamin D. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1986;196:361-75. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4684-5101-6_24. PMID: 3012979.

³ Amrein K, Scherkl M, Hoffmann M, Neuwersch-Sommeregger S, Köstenberger M, Tmava Berisha A, Martucci G, Pilz S, Malle O. Vitamin D deficiency 2.0: an update on the current status worldwide. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2020 Nov;74(11):1498-1513. doi: 10.1038/s41430-020-0558-y. Epub 2020 Jan 20. PMID: 31959942; PMCID: PMC7091696.

⁴ Holick MF, Chen TC. Vitamin D deficiency: a worldwide problem with health consequences. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Apr;87(4):1080S-6S. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/87.4.1080S. PMID: 18400738.

⁵ Galesanu C, Mocanu V. VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY AND THE CLINICAL CONSEQUENCES. Rev Med Chir Soc Med Nat Iasi. 2015 Apr-Jun;119(2):310-8. PMID: 26204630.

⁶ Chand SP, Arif H. Depression. 2023 Jul 17. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan–. PMID: 28613597.

⁷ Anglin RE, Samaan Z, Walter SD, McDonald SD. Vitamin D deficiency and depression in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry. 2013 Feb;202:100-7. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.111.106666. PMID: 23377209.

⁸ Munir S, Gunturu S, Abbas M. Seasonal Affective Disorder. 2024 Apr 20. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan–. PMID: 33760504.

⁹ Khan B, Shafiq H, Abbas S, Jabeen S, Khan SA, Afsar T, Almajwal A, Alruwaili NW, Al-Disi D, Alenezi S, Parveen Z, Razak S. Vitamin D status and its correlation to depression. Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2022 Aug 18;21(1):32. doi: 10.1186/s12991-022-00406-1. PMID: 35982462; PMCID: PMC9389668.

¹⁰ Wang R, Xu F, Xia X, Xiong A, Dai D, Ling Y, Sun R, Qiu L, Ding Y, Xie Z. The effect of vitamin D supplementation on primary depression: A meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2024 Jan 1;344:653-661. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.10.021. Epub 2023 Oct 16. PMID: 37852593.

¹¹ Forrest KY, Stuhldreher WL. Prevalence and correlates of vitamin D deficiency in US adults. Nutr Res. 2011 Jan;31(1):48-54. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2010.12.001. PMID: 21310306.

¹² Marcinowska-Suchowierska E, Kupisz-Urbańska M, Łukaszkiewicz J, Płudowski P, Jones G. Vitamin D Toxicity-A Clinical Perspective. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2018 Sep 20;9:550. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00550. PMID: 30294301; PMCID: PMC6158375.