Supplementing Vitamin D in Adolescents Shown to Improve Depression

by | Jul 30, 2024 | 2024, Brain Health, Depression, Infant and Children's Health, Recent Articles

Written by Jessica Patella, ND. The study evaluated supplementing rural adolescents with Vitamin D and found an improvement in the Beck depression scores.

vitaminsIn the United States approximately 4.4% or 2.7 million children (aged 3-17 years) are diagnosed with depression1. The World Health Organization has listed depression as a debilitating illness, but little research has explored the correlation between depression and dietary or nutritional deficiencies2. A study conducted in India found vitamin D deficiency is as high as 80% in adolescents2,3.  A recent study evaluated supplementing rural adolescents with Vitamin D and found an improvement in the Beck depression scores2.

Vitamin D is gaining interest as a possible micronutrient that plays a role in mental health.  Vitamin D receptors are found on specific regions of the brain related to depression (prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, cingulate gyrus, thalamus, hypothalamus, substantia nigra)2,4.  Vitamin D also helps regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which regulates the production of neurotransmitters, specifically dopamine, which is related to depression. Vitamin D is also anti-inflammatory and depression is shown to increase inflammatory cytokines2,5. These studies indicate there could be multiple pathways where vitamin D could be protective for mental health2.

The recent study included adolescents (14-19 years of age) from rural Kolar, India schools, with no pre-existing medical illness. A total of 452 students’ parents gave consent. All participants had baseline vitamin D levels assessed and completed the Beck’s depression score. The participants were then randomized to the high dose vitamin D group (235 participants, 2250 IU vitamin D per day by giving 60,000 IU once monthly dose and daily 250 IU vitamin D and 500 mg calcium) and to a control group (216 participants, daily 250 IU vitamin D and 500 mg calcium). Participants supplemented daily for 9-weeks.

The results were as follows:

  • In the high-dose vitamin D group, at baseline, 22.6% were deficient, 47.2% were insufficient, 30.2% were sufficient in vitamin D.
  • In the high-dose vitamin D group, after 9-weeks of supplementation, 23% were deficient, 15.3% were insufficient, 61.7% were sufficient in vitamin D.
  • There was statistically significant improvement in the Beck Depression Inventory in the high-dose vitamin D group compared to baseline (20.1 +/- 9.2 to 17.0 +/- 7.3; p<0.001) and also compared to the low-dose control group (21.9 +/- 12.5 vs 17.0 +/-7.3; p<0.01).
  • In the low-dose vitamin D control group, at baseline, 31.4% were deficient, 27.3% were insufficient, 41.3% were sufficient in vitamin D.
  • In the low-dose vitamin D control group, after 9-weeks of supplementation, 22.1% were deficient, 41.6% were insufficient, 36.3% were sufficient in vitamin D.
  • There was no significant change in the Beck Depression Inventory in the control group.
  • In both groups, none of the adolescents had potential toxic levels.

In conclusion, supplementing vitamin D in rural adolescents showed improvement in depression2. Nutritional interventions are easy, economical and have fewer side effects and therefore should be considered, especially in areas with lower socio-economics2. Future research with more adolescents and over a longer period of time are warranted2. This was also the first study to evaluate vitamin D levels in a tropical climate in teens and measuring depression2.

Source: Satyanarayana, Pradeep Tarikere, Ravishankar Suryanarayana, Susanna Theophilus Yesupatham, Sudha Reddy Varadapuram Ramalingareddy, and Navya Aswathareddy Gopalli. “Does Vitamin D3 Supplementation Improve Depression Scores among Rural Adolescents? A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Nutrients 16, no. 12 (2024): 1828.

© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Click here to read the full text study.

Posted July 30, 2024.

Jessica Patella, ND, is a naturopathic physician specializing in nutrition and homeopathic medicine and offers a holistic approach to health. She earned her ND from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ, and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Visit her website at www.awarenesswellness.com.

References:

  1. Prevention CfDCa. Children’s Mental Health Data. Accessed July 26, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html
  2. Satyanarayana PT, Suryanarayana R, Yesupatham ST, Varadapuram Ramalingareddy SR, Gopalli NA. Does Vitamin D3 Supplementation Improve Depression Scores among Rural Adolescents? A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. Jun 11 2024;16(12)doi:10.3390/nu16121828
  3. Kapil U, Pandey RM, Sharma B, et al. Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Children (6-18 years) Residing in Kullu and Kangra Districts of Himachal Pradesh, India. Indian J Pediatr. May 2018;85(5):344-350. doi:10.1007/s12098-017-2577-9
  4. Akpınar Ş, Karadağ MG. Is Vitamin D Important in Anxiety or Depression? What Is the Truth? Curr Nutr Rep. Dec 2022;11(4):675-681. doi:10.1007/s13668-022-00441-0
  5. Zhu DM, Zhao W, Zhang B, et al. The Relationship Between Serum Concentration of Vitamin D, Total Intracranial Volume, and Severity of Depressive Symptoms in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder. Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:322. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00322