Depression Could Be Improved With Vitamin D Deficiency Treatment

Research has found that women having moderate to severe depression experienced significant improvement in their depression symptoms after receiving vitamin D deficiency treatment.

Because they didn’t alter their antidepressant medications or other factors relating to depression, the study came to the conclusion that correction of their underlying vitamin D shortage could be responsible for the beneficial impact on depression.

The study was conducted on 3 women who had previously been diagnosed with clinical depression, and who were on antidepressant therapy. They were also receiving treatment for either an underactive thyroid or Type 2 diabetes.

Because they had vitamin D deficiency risk factors, such as poor sun exposure and low vitamin D intake, the women each had a 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test, which found low vitamin D levels for all 3 women.

Over 8 to 12 weeks, their vitamin D status had been restored to normal by means of oral vitamin D replacement therapy.

Following treatment, using the Beck Depression Inventory questionnaire, all 3 women showed improvement in their symptoms of depression. The Beck Depression Inventory questionnaire scores the degree of sadness as well as other depression symptoms. A score of 0 to 9 is an indication of minimal depression;  a score of 10 to 18 is an indication of  mild depression; a score of 19 to 29 is an indication of  moderate depression; and a score of 30 to 63 is an indication of  severe depression.

One participant’s score improved from 32 before receiving vitamin D therapy to a score of 12, indicating a change from severe depression to mild depression. Another participant’s score dropped from 26 to 8, suggesting she now had minimal depression symptoms. The other participant’s score of 21 improved to 16 following vitamin D treatment. For more information read The Vitamin D Depression Association

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