Vitamin D actively fights depression by increasing serotonin, the hormone key to stabilising mood and increasing happiness.
Vitamin D keeps your immune system strong and can help regulate insulin levels. It keeps your energy levels up and enhances your mood, too.
Vitamin B12
“B12 is essential for optimising our mood and mental performance, because it's essential for the production of serotonin,” says dietician Sophie Medlin. She explains that serotonin is our 'happy' hormone; the neurotransmitter that promotes feelings of wellbeing in our brain.
So, when it comes to vitamin d deficiency treatments, how long till you start to feel better? Those with the lowest levels should feel an improvement after just a few days, while those who only need to top up their levels may have to wait a week or two before they begin to feel healthier and more energised.
Excess amounts of vitamin D can be toxic and because vitamin D increases calcium absorption, vitamin D toxicity causes high blood calcium levels, which can lead to nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, neuropsychiatric disturbances, pain, loss of appetite, dehydration, polyuria, excessive thirst, and kidney stones.
Vitamin D is possibly the most studied vitamin for the treatment of SAD, and it's an essential hormone for bodily processes, especially mood management. Vitamin D appears to play an important role in SAD since levels drop during the winter as sun exposure decreases.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that mediated satisfaction, happiness and optimism. Serotonin levels are reduced in depression, and most modern anti-depressant drugs, known as serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), act by increasing the amount of serotonin available to brain cells.
Vitamin B-3 and Vitamin B-9 can help people with depression because B vitamins help the brain manage moods. Vitamin D, melatonin and St. John's Wort are recommended for seasonal depression. Omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium and vitamin C may also help with depression.
To an extent, vitamin D does play a role in reducing fatigue and boosting energy levels. This is because it aids the function of the mitochondria within the body's cells, which is responsible for creating energy.
Recent findings: Low vitamin D levels are associated with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety. For this reason, vitamin D screening should be performed in the prevention and treatment planning of these mood disorders.
Vitamin D is as vital for mental health as it's essential for physical health. There is sufficient research to show that not having enough of the vitamin can lead to depression-like symptoms. People with depression have higher chances of having vitamin D deficiency.
Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, and Lexapro, are just a few brands of serotonin that we prescribe for those who suffer from depression, and/or anxiety disorder. There is evidence that these drugs can also improve premenopausal symptoms, even a role in the treatment of obesity and parkinson's disease.
When it comes to happiness, in particular, the primary signaling chemicals include: Serotonin. Dopamine. Endorphins.
Some of the best vitamins for depression include vitamin D, iron, B9 (folate), calcium, vitamin C, and vitamins B12 and B3. Keep reading to learn more about vitamins that help with depression so you can make informed decisions about how best to treat your symptoms of depression.
An Australian researcher examined 15 studies with wide variation in study design and populations. The analysis showed a significant improvement in depression with vitamin D supplementation greater than 800 daily units.
It has recently been discovered that taking high doses of vitamin B6 supplements significantly reduces feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression.
Use vitamin D cautiously if you're taking drugs processed by these enzymes. Digoxin (Lanoxin). Avoid taking high doses of vitamin D with this heart medication. High doses of vitamin D can cause hypercalcemia, which increases the risk of fatal heart problems with digoxin.
Growing evidence has demonstrated that vitamin D has a role in sleep regulation [12]. Specifically, vitamin D deficiency (VDD) can increase risk of sleep disorders and is associated with sleep difficulties, shorter sleep duration, and nocturnal awakenings in children and adults [13,14,15].
There's no set time of day that's best to take vitamin D supplements. Some people say taking vitamin D supplements at night is an insomnia risk. There's no research to confirm this, but you might want to take your supplement earlier in the day if you think it's screwing with your sleep.
In general, the two main causes of vitamin D deficiency are: Not getting enough vitamin D in your diet and/or through sunlight. Your body isn't properly absorbing or using vitamin D.
It can take anywhere from 1-6 months to raise vitamin D levels with supplements. How much your levels increase and how long it takes will depend on the dose and your baseline vitamin D levels.
Melatonin production relies on vitamin D: Vitamin D helps the body produce melatonin, a hormone that supports sleep. Low levels of vitamin D could result in low levels of melatonin, leading to sleep problems.