Young people at Oregon State University enjoy the winter sunshine. People create their own vitamin D when their skin is exposed to sunlight. Credit: Oregon State University
A new study from Oregon State University suggests there is a relationship between low levels of vitamin D and depression in otherwise healthy young women.
OSU researchers found that young women with lower levels of vitamin D were more likely to have clinically significant depressive symptoms over the course of a five-week study, lead author David Kerr said. The results were consistent even when researchers took into account other possible explanations, such as time of year, exercise and time spent outside.
"Depression has multiple, powerful causes and if vitamin D is part of the picture, it is just a small part," said Kerr, an associate professor in the School of Psychological Science at OSU. "But given how many people are affected by depression, any little inroad we can find could have an important impact on public health."
The findings were published recently in the journal Psychiatry Research. Co-authors are Sarina Saturn of the School of Psychological Science; Balz Frei and Adrian Gombart of OSU's Linus Pauling Institute; David Zava of ZRT Laboratory and Walter Piper, a former OSU student now at New York University.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for bone health and muscle function. Deficiency has been associated with impaired immune function, some forms of cancer and cardiovascular disease, said Gombart, an associate professor of biochemistry and biophysics, principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute and international expert on vitamin D and the immune response.
People create their own vitamin D when their skin is exposed to sunlight. When sun is scarce in the winter, people can take a supplement, but vitamin D also is found in some foods, including milk that is fortified with it, Gombart said. The recommended daily allowance of vitamin D is 600 IU per day. There is no established level of vitamin D sufficiency for mental health.
The new study was prompted in part because there is a widely held belief that vitamin D and depression are connected, but there is not actually much scientific research out there to support the belief, Kerr said.
"I think people hear that vitamin D and depression can change with the seasons, so it is natural for them to assume the two are connected," he said.
According to Kerr and his colleagues, a lot of past research has actually found no association between the two, but much of that research has been based on much older adults or special medical populations.
Kerr's study focused on young women in the Pacific Northwest because they are at risk of both depression and vitamin D insufficiency. Past research found that 25 percent of American women experience clinical depression at some point in their lives, compared to 16 percent of men, for example.
OSU researchers recruited 185 college students, all women ages 18-25, to participate in the study at different times during the school year. Vitamin D levels were measured from blood samples and participants completed a depression symptom survey each week for five weeks.
Many women in the study had vitamin D levels considered insufficient for good health, and the rates were much higher among women of color, with 61 percent of women of color recording insufficient levels, compared to 35 percent of other women. In addition, more than a third of the participants reported clinically significant depressive symptoms each week over the course of the study.
"It may surprise people that so many apparently healthy young women are experiencing these health risks," Kerr said.
As expected, the women's vitamin D levels depended on the time of year, with levels dropping during the fall, at their lowest in winter, and rising in the spring. Depression did not show as a clear pattern, prompting Kerr to conclude that links between vitamin D deficiency and seasonal depression should be studied in larger groups of at-risk individuals.
Researchers say the study does not conclusively show that low vitamin D levels cause depression. A clinical trial examining whether vitamin D supplements might help prevent or relieve depression is the logical next step to understanding the link between the two, Kerr said.
OSU researchers already have begun a follow-up study on vitamin D deficiency in women of color. In the meantime, researchers encourage those at risk of vitamin D deficiency to speak with their doctor about taking a supplement.
"Vitamin D supplements are inexpensive and readily available." Kerr said. "They certainly shouldn't be considered as alternatives to the treatments known to be effective for depression, but they are good for overall health."
Explore further: Vitamin D and depression links debunked
More information: Psychiatry Research, http://ift.tt/1jP0Qad ii/S0165178115001080
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Vitamin D and depression links debunked
Mar 02, 2015
Vitamin D deficiency does not cause depression in later life but may be a marker for depression, a local study suggests.
Vitamin D may help prevent and treat diseases associated with aging, study finds
Mar 17, 2015
Vitamin D may play a vital role in the prevention and treatment of diseases associated with aging, according to researchers at Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing (MNSON). These findings ...
Depression in pregnant women is associated with low folate levels, but not with vitamin B12
Dec 03, 2014
A study of women in Singapore has revealed a possible link between depression in mid-to-late pregnancy and levels of folate, also known as folic acid or vitamin B9.
Study finds no evidence that vitamin D supplements reduce depression
Mar 18, 2014
Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in numerous health conditions in recent years, including depressed mood and major depressive disorder. Recent observational studies provide some support for an association ...
Vitamin D deficiency, depression linked in international study
Dec 02, 2014
Vitamin D deficiency is not just harmful to physical health—it also might impact mental health, according to a team of researchers that has found a link between seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, and a ...
Recommended for you
Brain networks differ among those with severe schizophrenia, study shows
4 hours ago
People with a severe form of schizophrenia have major differences in their brain networks compared to others with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and healthy individuals, a new study from the Centre for Addiction ...
Are antipsychotic drugs more dangerous to dementia patients than we think?
4 hours ago
Drugs aimed at quelling the behavior problems of dementia patients may also hasten their deaths more than previously realized, a new study finds.
New research into perfectionism discovers links with OCD
5 hours ago
Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire have found that people with 'perfectionist' personality traits show remarkably similar problems in their thinking to those diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive ...
Childhood trauma linked to early psychosis later in life
7 hours ago
Research showing that patients with early psychosis report high rates of childhood trauma has important implications for clinicians, a University of Queensland psychologist has found.
Comparing the diagnostic criteria for the DSM-5 and ICD-10
21 hours ago
Both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), and the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Edition (ICD-10) have established diagnostic ...
New mental health resource puts the power in your pocket
Mar 17, 2015
A new app and educational programme designed to help young people manage mental health problems is being launched today (17 March) at an event at St Stephens High School in Port Glasgow.
User comments
Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more
Click here to reset your password.
Sign in to get notified via email when new comments are made.
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
Young people at Oregon State University enjoy the winter sunshine. People create their own vitamin D when their skin is exposed to sunlight. Credit: Oregon State University
A new study from Oregon State University suggests there is a relationship between low levels of vitamin D and depression in otherwise healthy young women.
OSU researchers found that young women with lower levels of vitamin D were more likely to have clinically significant depressive symptoms over the course of a five-week study, lead author David Kerr said. The results were consistent even when researchers took into account other possible explanations, such as time of year, exercise and time spent outside.
"Depression has multiple, powerful causes and if vitamin D is part of the picture, it is just a small part," said Kerr, an associate professor in the School of Psychological Science at OSU. "But given how many people are affected by depression, any little inroad we can find could have an important impact on public health."
The findings were published recently in the journal Psychiatry Research. Co-authors are Sarina Saturn of the School of Psychological Science; Balz Frei and Adrian Gombart of OSU's Linus Pauling Institute; David Zava of ZRT Laboratory and Walter Piper, a former OSU student now at New York University.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for bone health and muscle function. Deficiency has been associated with impaired immune function, some forms of cancer and cardiovascular disease, said Gombart, an associate professor of biochemistry and biophysics, principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute and international expert on vitamin D and the immune response.
People create their own vitamin D when their skin is exposed to sunlight. When sun is scarce in the winter, people can take a supplement, but vitamin D also is found in some foods, including milk that is fortified with it, Gombart said. The recommended daily allowance of vitamin D is 600 IU per day. There is no established level of vitamin D sufficiency for mental health.
The new study was prompted in part because there is a widely held belief that vitamin D and depression are connected, but there is not actually much scientific research out there to support the belief, Kerr said.
"I think people hear that vitamin D and depression can change with the seasons, so it is natural for them to assume the two are connected," he said.
According to Kerr and his colleagues, a lot of past research has actually found no association between the two, but much of that research has been based on much older adults or special medical populations.
Kerr's study focused on young women in the Pacific Northwest because they are at risk of both depression and vitamin D insufficiency. Past research found that 25 percent of American women experience clinical depression at some point in their lives, compared to 16 percent of men, for example.
OSU researchers recruited 185 college students, all women ages 18-25, to participate in the study at different times during the school year. Vitamin D levels were measured from blood samples and participants completed a depression symptom survey each week for five weeks.
Many women in the study had vitamin D levels considered insufficient for good health, and the rates were much higher among women of color, with 61 percent of women of color recording insufficient levels, compared to 35 percent of other women. In addition, more than a third of the participants reported clinically significant depressive symptoms each week over the course of the study.
"It may surprise people that so many apparently healthy young women are experiencing these health risks," Kerr said.
As expected, the women's vitamin D levels depended on the time of year, with levels dropping during the fall, at their lowest in winter, and rising in the spring. Depression did not show as a clear pattern, prompting Kerr to conclude that links between vitamin D deficiency and seasonal depression should be studied in larger groups of at-risk individuals.
Researchers say the study does not conclusively show that low vitamin D levels cause depression. A clinical trial examining whether vitamin D supplements might help prevent or relieve depression is the logical next step to understanding the link between the two, Kerr said.
OSU researchers already have begun a follow-up study on vitamin D deficiency in women of color. In the meantime, researchers encourage those at risk of vitamin D deficiency to speak with their doctor about taking a supplement.
"Vitamin D supplements are inexpensive and readily available." Kerr said. "They certainly shouldn't be considered as alternatives to the treatments known to be effective for depression, but they are good for overall health."
Explore further: Vitamin D and depression links debunked
More information: Psychiatry Research, http://ift.tt/1jP0Qad ii/S0165178115001080
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Vitamin D and depression links debunked
Mar 02, 2015
Vitamin D deficiency does not cause depression in later life but may be a marker for depression, a local study suggests.
Vitamin D may help prevent and treat diseases associated with aging, study finds
Mar 17, 2015
Vitamin D may play a vital role in the prevention and treatment of diseases associated with aging, according to researchers at Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing (MNSON). These findings ...
Depression in pregnant women is associated with low folate levels, but not with vitamin B12
Dec 03, 2014
A study of women in Singapore has revealed a possible link between depression in mid-to-late pregnancy and levels of folate, also known as folic acid or vitamin B9.
Study finds no evidence that vitamin D supplements reduce depression
Mar 18, 2014
Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in numerous health conditions in recent years, including depressed mood and major depressive disorder. Recent observational studies provide some support for an association ...
Vitamin D deficiency, depression linked in international study
Dec 02, 2014
Vitamin D deficiency is not just harmful to physical health—it also might impact mental health, according to a team of researchers that has found a link between seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, and a ...
Recommended for you
Brain networks differ among those with severe schizophrenia, study shows
4 hours ago
People with a severe form of schizophrenia have major differences in their brain networks compared to others with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and healthy individuals, a new study from the Centre for Addiction ...
Are antipsychotic drugs more dangerous to dementia patients than we think?
4 hours ago
Drugs aimed at quelling the behavior problems of dementia patients may also hasten their deaths more than previously realized, a new study finds.
New research into perfectionism discovers links with OCD
5 hours ago
Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire have found that people with 'perfectionist' personality traits show remarkably similar problems in their thinking to those diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive ...
Childhood trauma linked to early psychosis later in life
7 hours ago
Research showing that patients with early psychosis report high rates of childhood trauma has important implications for clinicians, a University of Queensland psychologist has found.
Comparing the diagnostic criteria for the DSM-5 and ICD-10
21 hours ago
Both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), and the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Edition (ICD-10) have established diagnostic ...
New mental health resource puts the power in your pocket
Mar 17, 2015
A new app and educational programme designed to help young people manage mental health problems is being launched today (17 March) at an event at St Stephens High School in Port Glasgow.
User comments
Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more
Click here
to reset your password.
Sign in to get notified via email when new comments are made.
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
0 comments:
Post a Comment