The “sunshine vitamin,” also known as Vitamin D, is recognized for helping our bodies build strong bones, but research has shown that it could help ease the symptoms of depression.
In a review published in April 2014 in the journal Nutrients, researchers found that people who took vitamin D supplements saw an improvement in their symptoms of depression. The effect of taking a supplement was comparable to that of taking an antidepressant.
“There is some research to show that our levels of vitamin D can impact cognitive function … and also that vitamin D [supplementation] may help improve symptoms of depression in people who already have a deficiency,” says Marisa Moore, RDN, LD, an integrative and culinary dietitian in Atlanta.
The trouble is, quite a few of us simply aren’t getting enough vitamin D, according to a study published in June 2018 in the journal Cureus. Add to that the fact that vitamin D is found naturally in only a few foods, including fatty fish like salmon and tuna and some mushrooms and smaller amounts in egg yolks, cheese, and beef liver. Fortified foods, including cow’s milk, milk alternatives such as soy, oat, and many kinds of cereal, have much more of the fat-soluble vitamin.
To find out if you’re low in vitamin D, you’ll need to get a blood test. A result of 30 nmol/L (nanomoles per liter) or under is too low, and anything over 125 nmol/L is too high. Aim for 50 nmol/L or slightly above, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS).
People who are lactose intolerant or don’t consume dairy in there diet, may be less likely to get enough vitamin D, since fortified milk is an important dietary source of it, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
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