Relieving depression is to take vitamin d

In view of the problem of "how much vitamin D to take to relieve depression", let's give a clear conclusion: at present, there is no vitamin D subtype specifically classified as "special for relieving depression", and the vitamin D mentioned in clinical and research can help improve depression, which refers to vitamin D3, and it can only be used as an auxiliary means of depression intervention, and it can never replace formal drug treatment and psychotherapy.

Many people's impression of vitamin D is still "a good partner for calcium supplementation". I used to be the same. It was not until I accompanied my hair with moderate depression to the psychiatric department for follow-up that I found that the doctor specially asked her to check the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D index-her result at that time was only 11ng/ml, far below the appropriate level of 30ng/ml. In addition to adjusting the dose of antidepressants, the doctor prescribed an extra 2000IU of vitamin D3 drops a day, and ordered. About two months later, she asked me to have dinner, saying that the previous dullness of "waking up is like pressing ten pounds of wet quilts on my body, and even raising my hand to brush my mobile phone is too tired" is actually much lighter, and the whole person can take the initiative to go out and visit the park.

Of course, it must be fair to say that whether vitamin D3 can improve depression has not been completely unified in academic circles. The evidence of the supporters is very solid: the meta-analysis published in the Journal of Emotional Disorders in 2023 included more than 30 randomized controlled trials. The results showed that for depressed patients with vitamin D deficiency, the score of Hamilton Depression Scale decreased by 3.2 points on average after D3 supplementation, and the improvement effect was much more obvious than that of placebo group. The principle also makes sense: D receptors are distributed in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the brain, which are related to emotional regulation. It can participate in the synthesis and regulation of serotonin and dopamine, and can also reduce the level of neuroinflammation, which is one of the important causes of depression.

However, the voice of opposition is not unreasonable: many studies have pointed out that many observed cases of "supplementing D3 to improve mood" are mixed with other variables-for example, many people will listen to the doctor's advice to go out to bask in the sun and take more walks while supplementing D, and sunbathing and exercise themselves can promote endorphin secretion and improve mood, so it is hard to say that D3 is the whole credit. There are also some studies with small sample size, and there is no clear correlation between supplementing D and improving depression at all.

I sorted out the question "Do you want to make up D and how to make it up" that everyone asked the most, and made a table for easy comparison:

I used to brush the social platform and saw someone say that "supplementing D2 is better than D3, and vegan is healthier". In fact, there is really no need to entangle. If you are a vegan and don't want to eat D3 from animals, supplementing D2 is also useful, but the absorption rate is lower, and the same effect can be achieved by adding more supplements according to the doctor's advice. You don't have to listen to others' nonsense to buy ridiculously expensive imported products. Another friend asked me before, can I stop taking antidepressants after taking D3? This is purely wishful thinking. I always tell people around me that the effect of vitamin D on emotions, just like the cushioning running shoes you wear when running a marathon, can make your knees less painful and run more easily, but it can never replace your own legs. Formal treatment is the core.

Let me tell you a little story. Last winter, I worked overtime for a month. I went to work before dawn and got off work after dark, and I basically couldn't get the sun. During that time, I always felt inexplicably uninterested. I didn't even want to keep an appointment with my favorite butter hot pot. I checked that D was only 17ng/ml, so I ate 1000IU of D3 every day for about a month. That kind of "everything is too troublesome." Of course, I'm only depressed seasonally, not depressed. If I'm really in a bad mood for more than two weeks and I'm not interested in anything, I'll have to consult a doctor first, so don't delay things by taking vitamins myself.

To put it bluntly, vitamin D3 is a nutritional supplement with high cost performance, but don't deify it. You should see a doctor and make up for it. Just regard it as an auxiliary item of emotional conditioning, and don't use it as an antidepressant.