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From ... in Psychology —

How sunlight and vitamin D can help with mental illness

Vitamin D receptors exist throughout your brain, affecting mental health by regulating neurotransmitters and reducing inflammation.

How sunlight and vitamin D can help with mental illness

Deficiency is linked to depression, anxiety and psychosis.

Mental health patients show higher rates of vitamin D deficiency, caused by reduced Sun exposure, obesity and other factors.

Studies show vitamin D supplementation improves depression symptoms, particularly in elderly and adolescent patients. Optimal blood levels range from 60 to 80 ng/ml.

Safe Sun exposure remains the best source of vitamin D, but those consuming seed oils should wait four to six months after elimination before increasing Sun exposure; if regular Sun exposure isn’t feasible, vitamin D supplementation may be necessary.

Protective strategies for safe Sun exposure include taking astaxanthin (12 mg daily), using niacinamide cream, pre-exposure baby aspirin and molecular hydrogen supplementation.

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The Role of Vitamin D Deficiency in Mental Illness

By Dr. Joseph Mercola

Vitamin D receptors are not just limited to your skeletal system for bone health – they’re also present in various brain regions like your hippocampus, substantia nigra and cerebellum.

This hints at vitamin D’s key role in neurological development and the functioning of your nervous system. When your body lacks sufficient vitamin D, it disrupts neurotransmitter release, affects neurotrophic factors and impairs neuroprotection.1

These disruptions are linked to mood and behavioural changes, contributing to psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety and even psychosis. Moreover, vitamin D helps modulate inflammation, which is often elevated in mental health disorders. This is why optimising your vitamin D levels is important for both physical health and maintaining your mental well-being.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Prevalence in Mental Health Conditions

Vitamin D deficiency is common, affecting over half of the global population regardless of age or ethnicity.2 For people battling psychiatric disorders, the rates of deficiency are even higher. Studies indicate that psychiatric patients often have lower vitamin D levels compared to the general population.

Factors contributing to this deficiency include reduced sunlight exposure due to time spent indoors, poor dietary intake and obesity, which sequesters vitamin D in fat tissues. Additionally, certain psychiatric medications lead to weight gain, further complicating vitamin D status.3

This widespread deficiency is concerning because low levels of vitamin D have been linked to a higher incidence of various mental health issues, including depression, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders4 – each affected in unique ways.

In depression, low vitamin D levels are associated with increased symptoms and a higher risk of developing the disorder. Vitamin D may protect the hippocampus during stress-related dysregulation and support the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in mood regulation.5

Schizophrenia, a chronic mental health disorder characterised by distorted thinking and perceptions, is another area of interest concerning vitamin D’s benefits. Research reveals a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among people with schizophrenia, particularly those experiencing acute episodes.6

Some studies have also found a strong association between low vitamin D levels and the severity of schizophrenia symptoms, suggesting that vitamin D could play a role in cognitive function and neuroprotection.7 In psychotic spectrum diseases like schizophrenia, deficiency is often linked to poorer outcomes and increased symptom severity, due to reduced neuroprotection and impaired neurotransmission.

The Impact of Vitamin D on Specific Mental Health Conditions

Neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (“ADHD”), also show significant correlations with vitamin D levels, where supplementation has been found to improve behavioural and cognitive symptoms.8

Some research also indicates that people with bipolar disorder often exhibit lower levels of vitamin D compared to those without the condition. For instance, higher levels of vitamin D binding protein have been observed in bipolar patients, suggesting a link between vitamin D metabolism and mood regulation.9

Additionally, vitamin D plays a role in sleep-wake disorders, where deficiency disrupts circadian rhythms and leads to poor sleep quality.10 Optimising vitamin D levels is therefore a promising therapeutic strategy for many mental health conditions. Studies have shown that vitamin D supplementation leads to improvements in depressive symptoms, particularly in people with existing deficiencies.

For instance, elderly patients with depression, adolescents and those recovering from acute illnesses have all benefited from increased vitamin D intake. In the context of schizophrenia, adding vitamin D to standard anti-psychotic treatments has been linked to better cognitive outcomes and reduced symptom severity.11

Neuroinflammation, the inflammation of the nervous tissue, plays a role in many neurological and mental disorders, including traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. Vitamin D has emerged as a promising agent in combating neuroinflammation due to its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties.12

Animal studies, such as those conducted on rats with traumatic brain injury, have also demonstrated that vitamin D supplementation shifts microglial cells toward an anti-inflammatory state, reducing brain oedema and protecting the blood-brain barrier.

Vitamin D Helps Relieve Depression and Anxiety

A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Affective Disorders explored the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation in managing primary depression.13 The study reviewed 18 randomised controlled trials to assess whether vitamin D alleviates depressive symptoms in adults. The findings revealed a significant overall reduction in depression scores among those who received vitamin D supplements compared to those who received a placebo.

Notably, the benefits were more pronounced in people with baseline vitamin D levels exceeding 20 ng/ml, where the reduction in depressive symptoms was substantial. This suggests that higher levels of vitamin D may be necessary to achieve meaningful improvements in depression.

A study published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry also revealed a compelling association between vitamin D deficiency and increased depressive symptoms in older adults.14 The study analysed data from 299 participants, with over 60% classified as either vitamin D deficient or insufficient.

These people exhibited higher scores on the Geriatric Depression Scale, particularly in the dysphoria and meaninglessness subdomains. This negative correlation suggests that lower vitamin D levels are directly linked to heightened feelings of sadness, hopelessness and a lack of purpose – core elements of depression. Notably, the study found that higher vitamin D sufficiency levels, nearing 95.5 ng/ml, were associated with minimal to no depressive symptoms.

These results underscore the crucial role that adequate vitamin D plays in maintaining mental health, highlighting the potential of VD supplementation as a strategic intervention to alleviate depressive symptoms in older populations. Anxiety disorders, much like depression, significantly impact your daily life and overall well-being.

Separate research highlights that low vitamin D levels are not only associated with increased symptoms of depression but also with heightened anxiety.15 Vitamin D’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties play a role in mitigating the oxidative stress and inflammation that are key players in the pathophysiology of anxiety disorders.

Brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, which are involved in regulating mood and anxiety, contain vitamin D receptors and the enzyme necessary for activating vitamin D. This suggests that adequate vitamin D levels are essential for maintaining the health and functionality of these brain areas. Supplementing with vitamin D has also been found to help reduce anxiety symptoms.16

Maximising the Benefits of Sunlight for Vitamin D Production

While vitamin D supplements are widely available, sunlight remains the gold standard for vitamin D synthesis in your body. Beyond just vitamin D production, Sun exposure offers additional health advantages. In fact, elevated vitamin D levels often indicate healthy Sun exposure, which may explain many of the health benefits traditionally attributed to vitamin D alone, including reduced mental health benefits, cancer risk and enhanced longevity.

One important factor that’s often overlooked in Sun exposure discussions, however, is the impact of dietary oils, particularly seed oils. If you regularly consume seed oils, you’ll need to exercise extra caution with Sun exposure. These oils contain high amounts of linoleic acid (“LA”), which becomes problematic when exposed to ultraviolet radiation. The interaction between sunlight and LA-rich skin triggers inflammation and DNA damage.

For this reason, it’s advisable to limit Sun exposure to earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon if you’ve been consuming these oils regularly. A safe approach is to wait four to six months after eliminating these oils from your diet before increasing Sun exposure. Several personal characteristics also influence how your body tolerates and responds to sunlight:

• Skin pigmentation – Melanin serves as a natural sunscreen. People with darker skin need longer Sun exposure to produce the same amount of vitamin D as those with lighter skin.

• Body composition – Fat tissue stores fat-soluble compounds, including oxidised seed oils. Those with higher body fat percentages may need to be more cautious, as stored oils extend the risk period even after dietary changes.

Guidelines for Safe Sun Exposure

The simplest way to gauge appropriate Sun exposure is the “sunburn test.” Monitor your skin for any signs of redness. If you don’t notice even slight pinkness, you’re likely within a safe exposure range. Always avoid sunburn, as it indicates damage. As you reduce LA stores in your body, your susceptibility to sunburn and skin cancer decreases significantly.

These recommendations account for both optimal vitamin D production and protection against oxidative stress while your body eliminates stored LA so during the transition period:

• Until you’ve been seed oil-free for six months, avoid direct Sun 2 to 3 hours before and after solar noon. While complete tissue clearance of seed oils takes about two years, the six-month mark typically allows enough detoxification for beneficial Sun exposure during peak hours.

• Remember that during Daylight Saving Time (summer months), solar noon occurs at 1 pm, not 12 pm. This means peak sunlight hours are roughly 10 am to 4 pm during these months.

• As your body eliminates stored seed oils over the initial six months, gradually increase Sun exposure closer to solar noon. Start with early morning or late afternoon Sun, slowly working toward midday exposure as your tissues become cleaner and more resilient to UV light.

If Sun exposure is necessary before your body has cleared seed oils, consider these protective measures:

1. Astaxanthin supplementation – Take 12 milligrams daily to enhance skin resistance to Sun damage.

2. Topical niacinamide – Apply vitamin B3 cream before Sun exposure to protect against UV-induced DNA damage.

3. Pre-exposure aspirin – Taking a baby aspirin 30 to 60 minutes before Sun exposure may reduce skin cancer risk by preventing LA conversion to harmful oxidised linoleic acid metabolites (“OXLAMs”).

4. Molecular hydrogen – This compound helps neutralise free radicals and reduces oxidative stress while maintaining beneficial reactive oxygen species.

Vitamin D Supplementation Tips

If regular Sun exposure isn’t feasible, vitamin D supplementation may be necessary. However, the current definition of vitamin D deficiency (less than 20 ng/ml) has been shown to be inadequate for good health and disease prevention. While sufficiency begins around 40 ng/ml (100 nmol/l in European measurements), the target range for optimal health is 60 to 80 ng/ml (150 to 200 nmol/l). To optimise your vitamin D levels:

  1. Test your levels twice a year.
  2. Adjust Sun exposure or supplementation based on the results.
  3. Retest after three to four months to confirm you’ve reached target levels.
  4. Continue monitoring to maintain optimal levels.

Remember that everyone’s relationship with the Sun is unique. Listen to your body’s signals and adjust your exposure accordingly. The goal is to harness the benefits of sunlight while avoiding sunburn. Further, keep in mind that the interplay between vitamin D and mental health is intricate and multifaceted. While supplementation shows promise, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Vitamin D deficiency could be both a consequence of mental illness – due to factors like reduced sunlight exposure and poor diet – and a contributing factor to the severity and resistance to treatment of these conditions. Therefore, addressing vitamin D levels should be part of a holistic approach to mental health care, alongside dietary improvements, physical activity and other psychosocial interventions.

However, ensuring adequate vitamin D levels through safe Sun exposure and supplementation when necessary is a valuable component in supporting your mental well-being. By taking proactive steps to manage your vitamin D status, you contribute positively to your overall mental health and resilience against psychiatric disorders.

 Sources and References

About the Author

Dr. Joseph Mercola is the founder and owner of Mercola.com, a Board-Certified Family Medicine Osteopathic Physician, a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition and a New York Times bestselling author.  He publishes multiple articles a day covering a wide range of topics on his website Mercola.com.

Dr. Mercola’s new book ‘Your Guide to Cellular Health: Unlocking the Science of Longevity and Joy’ is available to purchase HERE.

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