Because many people with winter-pattern SAD have vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D supplements may help improve symptoms. However, studies testing vitamin D as a treatment for SAD have produced mixed results, with some studies indicating that it is as effective as light therapy and other studies finding no effect.
While cozying up inside can be a welcome change, it may lead to a drop in your vitamin D levels. Often called the “sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D plays a crucial role in your overall health and well-being, especially during the winter months.
It is thought that increased expression of region-specific vitamin D receptors (VDR) in brain regions known to play an important role in mood regulation (such as prefrontal and cingulate cortices) may be effective on the progression of depression [20, 22].
This mental haze is often called brain fog and may be linked to vitamin D deficiency. When your levels are low, you might experience symptoms like: Forgetting where you parked your car or misplaced your phone.
Symptoms when vitamin D is low
Fatigue. Not sleeping well. Bone pain or achiness. Depression or feelings of sadness.
Taking an over-the-counter vitamin D supplement can help raise your levels and improve deficiency symptoms within six weeks to four months, depending on how severe your deficiency is. You may begin to feel consistently more energetic and in a better mood when your use of vitamin D supplements starts to work.
Vitamin B-12 and other B vitamins play a role in making brain chemicals that affect mood and other brain functions. Low levels of B-12 and other B vitamins and folate may be linked to depression. Low levels of a vitamin, also called a vitamin deficiency, can happen if you're not eating a balanced diet.
Studies have shown that vitamin D3 supplementation can improve depression symptoms related to SAD. Because D3 helps boost mood by supporting serotonin production, it may help those who are prone to the seasonal blues.
Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency
Mood changes accompanied by overwhelming feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and hopelessness. Fatigue. Forgetfulness.
Low vitamin D may not cause any symptoms. However, some people may have symptoms such as tiredness, and general aches and pains. A severe lack of vitamin D, known as vitamin D deficiency, can cause bones to become soft and weak, which can lead to bone deformities.
Vitamin D is possibly unsafe when used in higher amounts during pregnancy or while breast-feeding. Using higher doses might cause harm to the infant. Children: Vitamin D is likely safe in children when taken by mouth in recommended amounts. But it is possibly unsafe to take vitamin D in higher doses, long-term.
As for people with darker skin, they have more melanin, so less UV light gets absorbed to create vitamin D3. They need more sun exposure to produce vitamin D3 than those with lighter skin.
The most common period for the onset of a SAD episode is late October through November. January and February are the worst months overall, and the symptoms don't fully subside until early May.
Higher dosages of vitamin D, up to 8,000 IU per day, reduced depression symptoms to a greater degree, though most of the effect was reached at approximately 5,000 IU per day.
In addition, having sufficient 25(OH)D levels in the brain increased expression of the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), which is necessary for sufficient serotonin production.
Symptoms when vitamin D is low
Most people with vitamin D deficiency are asymptomatic. However, if you're exhausted, your bones hurt, you have muscle weakness or mood changes, that's an indication that something may be abnormal with your body.
Vitamin D is often referred to as “the happy hormone.” Despite being referred to as a vitamin, it actually functions as a prohormone – it is converted into an active hormone that acts on multiple tissues in the body including the brain, bone, and the liver.
An eight-week study in Australia found that some of those given vitamin D supplements had an improvement in mood in only five days (3). Another study, in Iran, gave a single vitamin D injection and reported improvement in depression when measured 3 months on (4).
Types of natural antidepressants
Vitamins and minerals: B-vitamins (thiamine, L-methylfolate, B12), magnesium, vitamin D. Foods: Following the Mediterranean diet; avoiding processed foods, refined carbohydrates and sugars; eating plenty of omega-3 fatty acids or nutrient-dense foods (like seafood and leafy greens)
Vitamin D supplements are linked to a significant reduction in dementia risk, with a major study showing users had a 40% lower incidence of developing dementia compared to non-users, particularly benefiting older adults, with even greater effects seen in women and those without existing cognitive issues. This reduction highlights Vitamin D's role in brain health, possibly by clearing amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer's.
It is most associated with the winter months and can leave you feeling depressed or blue. Sad has been linked to vitamin D, otherwise known as the sunshine vitamin, because the skin absorbs it through exposure to sunlight.
You can become deficient in vitamin D for different reasons:
It has been confirmed that vitamin D has potent anti-inflammatory properties. It contributes to reduction in pro-inflammatory mediators and an increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines. There is also evidence that vitamin D could decrease C-reactive protein (CRP) and affect selected haematological indices.
Individuals with deficient or insufficient circulating vitamin D concentrations (i.e., <30 ng/mL) are more likely to take longer to fall asleep (i.e., longer sleep latency and later sleep timing) and/or exhibit shorter sleep duration (11–16).