Low dose of vitamin D not associated with depression benefits

A daily dose of 400 IU of vitamin D3 plus 1,000 mg of calcium was not associated with symptoms of depression, says a new study.

Data from 36,282 postmenopausal women participating in the Women’s Health Initiative indicated that two years of supplementation did not reduce antidepressant use or continuous depressive symptoms.

The study’s findings, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, are at odds with other studies that have reported an association between vitamin D levels and lower incidence of symptoms of depression.

“The findings do not support a relation between supplementation with 400 IU/day of vitamin D3 along with calcium and depression in older women,” wrote researchers led by Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson from the University of Massachusetts.

“Additional trials testing higher doses of vitamin D are needed to determine whether this nutrient may help prevent or treat depression.”

Data from 81,189 participants of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Observational Study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicated that the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 21% lower for women with daily vitamin D intakes exceeding 800 International Units (IU) per day, compared with intakes of less than 100 IU per day.

Source: American Journal of Epidemiology
Published online ahead of print, doi:10.1093/aje/kwr482
“Vitamin D Supplementation and Depression in the Women’s Health Initiative Calcium and Vitamin D Trial”
Authors: E.R. Bertone-Johnson, S.I. Powers, L. Spangler, J. Larson, et al.