Sunshine vitamin no aid for blues
Monday July 16th, 2012
Taking supplements of vitamin D do not reduce the symptoms of depression, a Norwegian study has concluded.
Despite previous
research claiming a link between low vitamin D levels and depression,
scientists at the University Hospital of North Norway found that taking
supplements made no difference, leading them to believe that low levels
of vitamin D may occur as a result of depression, rather than cause the
symptoms.
Vitamin D levels are closely linked to levels of sunlight - which triggers the creation of the vitamin in the body. The findings could suggest a link between sunshine and mental health - with natural levels of vitamin D raised as a result of exposure to the sun.
Researchers, led by Dr Marie Kjærgaard, carried out a randomised placebo-controlled study to examine whether or not taking supplements works.
They enrolled 334 participants, 230 of whom had low vitamin D levels, with the remaining 114 having high vitamin D levels.
They were all assessed to determine if they had symptoms of depression at the beginning of the study and it was found that participants with low vitamin D levels were more depressed than those with high levels.
The participants with low vitamin D levels were randomly split into two groups, with one receiving high dose vitamin D supplements for six months and the other taking a placebo. The 114 people with high vitamin D levels acted as a control group and were given no treatment.
However, researchers concluded that there was no difference in depression scores between those who had taken the high dose vitamin D supplements and those who had taken the placebo. The results are published today in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
“Our randomised placebo-controlled study found that even though people with low levels of vitamin D are more depressed, high dose vitamin D supplementation had no effect,” she said.
“This may indicate that low levels of vitamin D are the result – rather than the cause – of depressive symptoms. Further studies are now needed in people with clinical depression.”
Effect of Vitamin D supplement on depression scores in persons with low levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D: A nested case-control study and a randomised clinical trial. Kjærgaard M, Waterloo K, Wang CEA, Almås B, Figenschau Y, Hutchinson MS, Svartberg J, Jorde R. British Journal of Psychiatry, 2012, epub ahead of print bjp.bp.111.104349
Tags: Diet & Food | Europe | Mental Health
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