Vitamin D: Depression and the Elderly 

Vitamin D isn’t the new wonder drug; technically it isn’t even a vitamin. Rather, it is a group of fat-soluble prohormones (a precursor to hormones that usually have little hormonal activity by themselves). Aside from maintaining proper bone structure, vitamin D is required for the regulation of the minerals calcium and phosphorus.

However this little pre-hormone, mineral regulator has gotten lot of press lately. Aside from its ability to prevent rickets and osteoporosis, it’s been given credit for preventing cancer, diabetes, muscle aches, MS, weight loss, depression, migraines, and more. Unfortunately, iIt will take some time to filter out the science from the junk science as it relates to vitamin D and what it can and cannot do. However, there have been two studies that have revealed what looks like a clear link between vitamin D and depression.

One of those studies finished in 2004. It involved following nearly one thousand men and women for six years, who were 65 years and older. These people were part of the InChianti Study, so they were ideal subjects for Dr. Luigi Ferrucci research. In 2005 Dr. Luigi Ferrucci of the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, and colleagues, published the results of their study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Although they found a correlation between depression and low levels of vitamin D, they stopped short of saying the two are connected. They did, however suggest normalization of vitamin D levels may be part of depression treatment plans in older patients. 

 In 1991, the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam started a long-term study in the Netherlands, which followed 1,200+ men and women aged 65 to 95. The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam is an ongoing cohort study of the predictors and consequences of changes in mood, autonomy, and well-being in an aging population. They published their findings on vitamin D levels and depression in the Archives of General Psychiatry in May 2008. They concluded that both depression and depression severity is strongly associated with insufficient levels of vitamin D.

Depression is higher among the elderly than the general adult population, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, and if raising your vitamin D levels may reduce depression, it makes sense to ensure your levels are where they should be. And, according to a variety of news reports, it is evident that a significant portion of the US population does not get appropriate quantities of vitamin D. 

The probably reason why so many are deficient in vitamin D is that we don't spend enough time in the sun, and when we do go outside we slather ourselves up with sunscreen to protect us from the very thing that helps our bodies create 80-90% of or Vitamin D. We also don’t consume much in the way of vitamin D rich foods, such as herring, mackerel, sardines or tuna, so it is not surprising that so many people are deficient in vitamin D. There is no way for you to get enough vitamin D from "fortified" foods, and the current recommended daily level of supplementation is under review and subject to revision.
 
The safest way to get your daily dose is to take a supplement. However, it is possible that your current levels of vitamin D may be so low that beginning a normal supplementation routine will not be sufficient.  I, for example, have been prescribed 100,000 IUs of Vitamin D a week for the last six months. This is the equivalent of taking an entire bottle of over-the-counter vitamin D weekly—way beyond the daily recommended dosage. Yet, only my most recent blood test came back showing nearly normal levels.

Keep in mind that vitamin D is fat soluble so it will build up in your body if you take more than your body can use on a daily basis. To get sufficient levels for me, it took several months of mega-doses and periodic blood tests to get my body to the appropriate levels. Thus it is important to work with your doctor in establishing and monitoring your need of vitamin D.  If you haven’t had your own levels of vitamin D tested, it’s probably wise to schedule an appointment with your doctor soon.

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