Vitamin D for seasonal affective disorder and the risk factors for seasonal depression. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with seasonal depression, how to take vitamin D for seasonal affective disorder and treating depression naturally with vitamin d.
If you have suffered from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), then you probably also have seasonal depression. If so, you’re not alone. It’s estimated that 20-30% of the United States population experiences SAD. That being said, it doesn’t have to be this way. There are ways to get over a seasonal depression, and some methods can even eliminate depressive symptoms entirely.
vitamins for seasonal affective disorder
Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that occurs during certain seasons, such as winter and spring. If you’re having a difficult time coping with the transition between seasons, you might want to take a look at these vitamin D3 benefits.
Do you know someone who is suffering from seasonal affective disorder or SAD? This is a type of depression that can follow the seasons, starting in the fall and winter months. It’s also called Winter Depression or just SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder can cause a person to have very bad mood swings and feel extremely depressed during those months when the sun is not shining brightly. There are treatments available to help your loved one get the help they need and move on from this difficult time in their lives.
vitamin d for seasonal affective disorder
Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that typically affects people over the age of 40. It’s characterized by unusually low levels of sunshine, or lack thereof. It can cause debilitating exhaustion and lethargy as well as weight gain and loss.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression, is a type of depression that occurs in the fall and winter. SAD is marked by severe, persistent feelings of intense sadness and hopelessness, which last for several months each year—typically between October to April.
how to treat seasonal depression naturally
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression with a recurring seasonal pattern, with symptoms most often starting in the late fall and early winter and going away in the spring and summer. The risk of SAD is higher in people who live far from the equator and those with a personal or family history of depression. Women are more likely than men to develop SAD, and younger people have a higher risk than older ones.
Types of treatment that have been studied for SAD include medication (antidepressants), psychotherapy (such as cognitive behavioral therapy, CBT), light therapy, and dietary supplements (such as vitamin D).
Bottom Line
Antidepressant medications, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or bupropion, may be used for SAD.
A type of CBT adapted for use with SAD patients helps to relieve symptoms, and its effects may continue into subsequent winters, even without additional sessions with a therapist.
Light therapy involves daily exposure to bright artificial light, usually from early fall until spring. It typically requires sitting for 20 to 60 minutes each morning in front of a light box that produces much more light than ordinary indoor lighting. The idea behind light therapy is to replace the diminished sunlight of the fall and winter months. In several studies, light therapy has had beneficial effects on SAD symptoms similar to those of medication or CBT.
Low levels of vitamin D, caused by low dietary intake of the vitamin or not enough exposure to sunshine, have been found in people with SAD. However, it’s unclear whether vitamin D supplementation can help to relieve SAD symptoms.
Very little research has been done on dietary supplements other than vitamin D for SAD. A few studies involving very small numbers of people have looked at melatonin and St. John’s wort for treatment of SAD, with unclear or inconsistent results. Single small studies of vitamin B12 for treatment of SAD and Ginkgo biloba for prevention of SAD did not find that the supplements were beneficial.
Safety
Like other medications, those used for SAD may have side effects. Sometimes, it’s necessary to try several medications to identify one that works well without too many undesired effects.
CBT is generally considered safe.
Light therapy sometimes has side effects such as dizziness, nausea, headaches, or tired eyes. This form of treatment may not be appropriate for people with diseases of the retina, recent eye surgery, or bipolar disorder or those who are taking medicines that increase sensitivity to light.
Some dietary supplements may have side effects or interact with medicines. St. John’s wort is known to interact in harmful ways with a large number of medicines. Some vitamins, including vitamin D, may be toxic if taken in excessive doses. It’s a good idea to talk with your health care provider about any dietary supplement you’re considering or taking, especially if you take medicine.
Gray skies for days, temperatures well below freezing, wind that blows right through you, snow storms, and limited sun exposure describe the harsh winters in New York City, where I live and work. I try not to let the winter bother me, but when I arrive at work at 9 a.m. and usually don’t leave until 7 p.m. (on a good day), the sun is like a long lost friend whose presence I miss.
As a result of these beastly winters, many of my staff and patients do not feel like themselves, which could be attributed to seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is preventable and treatable, but many don’t even realize they are suffering from this insidious condition.
How to recognize SAD
SAD is a type of depression that affects an individual during the same season each year. Winter is the most common season for SAD because of the bleak conditions. Symptoms tend to appear around Halloween and most often alleviate around Easter.
A quick look at the medical literature reveals that it is still unclear what causes SAD, but most experts believe it might be caused by a drop in serotonin, a brain chemical affecting mood.1 Reduced sun exposure can cause a drop in serotonin that might trigger depression. The change in seasons can also disrupt the balance of the natural hormone, melatonin, which hormone plays a role in sleep patterns and mood.
Symptoms of SAD can include:
- Feeling sad, grumpy, moody, or anxious
- Loss of interest in your usual activities
- Eating more and craving carbohydrates like bread and pasta
- Weight gain
- Sleeping more and feeling drowsy during the day
If your patients mention feeling depressed this time of year or are more tired than usual, take into consideration that it might be SAD.
Solutions for SAD
In my pharmacies, we embrace many holistic treatment methods, and how we tackle SAD is no different. I recommend dietary supplements to offset, and in some cases, prevent SAD symptoms. Here are 5 supplements I commonly recommend to my patients that should be able to help yours:
- 5-HTP: 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an inexpensive nutrient supplement from an African bean that helps increase brain serotonin levels. When these levels get too low, they are believed to trigger depression. The body can make 5-HTP to convert into serotonin, but it must have enough tryptophan on hand to do so, which typically comes from food. By supplementing with 5-HTP, the body can quickly yet naturally replenish serotonin levels. Increased serotonin equals mood improvement – sometimes within minutes. “As an antidepressant, 5-HTP is so effective that it has repeatedly matched or outperformed many of the most established antidepressant drugs, including Prozac, without negative side effects so often associated with these drugs,” wrote Julia Ross, MA, author of The Mood Cure.2
- Tyrosine: Tyrosine, a natural antidepressant, is the fuel our brain uses to make another natural antidepressant, catecholamines. Tyrosine is so effective in reversing physical and mental consequences of stress that it’s used by the US military. Tyrosine attributes to an overall sense of well-being by promoting powerful pleasure-inducing chemicals called “enkephalines” (cousins to endorphins).
- Melatonin: Melatonin is a hormone that helps to balance sleep/wake cycles and mood. Melatonin is synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan by the pineal gland in the back of the brain. The perception of daylight in the eyes is a signal for the pineal gland to inhibit melatonin synthesis and release. At night or in the dark, the body’s melatonin production rises, and this increase in plasma melatonin is thought to be responsible for bringing on sleep. The change of seasons can disrupt the balance of melatonin levels, which can result in trouble sleeping and bad moods due to being tired. A melatonin supplement supports a balance, so sleep/wake cycles stay normal year-round.
- SAM-e: S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM-e) is a methyl donor and participates in a wide variety of biochemical reactions, 1 of which is to provide support for healthy functioning of neurological processes. As a major source of methyl groups in the brain, SAM-e in conjunction with other methyl donor metabolites like betaine, choline, or folate might optimize serotonin and dopamine, as well as the brain’s sensitivity to them. A drop in serotonin negatively affects mood and causes depression, which is a key indicator of SAD.
- St. John’s Wort: Although St. John’s Wort has a variety of traditional uses, extracts of this flowering perennial are best known for their mood balancing properties and widely recognized for their positive, supportive effects on mental and emotional function. Like many botanicals, St. John’s Wort has been used for thousands of years, but is now gaining immense popularity in the United States and abroad.
Instead of dreading winter, these 5 supplements might actually help your patients look forward to the season and embrace all that it brings.
Alter your diet, improve your mood
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that’s believed to be caused by the changing seasons. Typically, symptoms begin to worsen around fall and peak during the winter months. Symptoms of SAD are similar to other forms of depression, including feelings of hopelessness, lack of concentration, social withdrawal, and fatigue.
Treatments for SAD include medication, talk therapy, exercise, and eating a healthy diet. Use our mood-boosting recipes and meal ideas to help you fight off SAD with your fork.
- Lean proteins
Besides being high in omega-3s, salmon is a great source of lean proteins. While a richly marbled rib-eye steak is undoubtedly delicious, the high saturated fat content may not be good for your mood or your body. Lean proteins, however, carry plenty of amino acids, which may positively affect your mood. Lean proteins are also a great source of energy, which is something you’ll need to help beat fatigue.
For good lean protein, we suggest cider-brined roast chicken breasts.
Learn more about foods that beat fatigue.
- Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids have been praised for their health benefits, including possibly influencing your mood. One study from the University of Pittsburgh found that people with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids were less likely to experience moderate or mild symptoms of depression.
Sources that contain the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids include flax seeds, walnuts, and salmon.
If you want to boost your omega intake, try grilled mustard and bourbon-glazed salmon.
- Berries
Stress aggravates depression symptoms and exhausts your body. Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries may help prevent the release of cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal gland. During stressful situations, cortisol heads toward your hippocampus, a major portion of the brain that stores memories, provides emotional responses, and helps with navigation. Keep berries in your bag to combat stress when it hits.
Try this blueberry peach smoothie for a good start to your day.
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- Limit sugar intake
If you start looking at the ingredients of food labels, you’ll notice various forms of sugar. They’ll appear as syrups or words that end in “-ose.”
Sugar may give you a little happy boost at first, but research from UCLA suggests that too much sugar and too few omega-3 fatty acids can functionally change your brain and slow it down. Research on how the brain works is always ongoing. But it’s a safe bet to stay away from sugar — especially if you’re feeling depressed. The crash after a sugar high can easily make you feel worse than before.
- Folic acid
Some researchTrusted Source on folic acid’s effect on the brain has given insight into how it can boost your mood. There’s some evidence that the body uses it to create serotonin — a neurotransmitter that affects mood — but there’s no conclusive evidence as to how it works. Including it in your diet is a good idea regardless.
You can get high amounts of folic acid in leafy greens, oatmeal, sunflower seeds, oranges, fortified cereals, lentils, black-eyed peas, and soybeans.
We recommend you try this black-eyed pea soup.
- Vitamin B-12
Like folic acid, low levels of vitamin B-12 in the blood are associated with depression, but researchers can’t find definitive evidence as to why.
There are lots of tasty ways to fit it into your diet. Food sources of vitamin B-12 include lean beef, clams, oysters, crab, wild salmon, eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, milk, and fortified cereals.
Get your B-12 through your breakfast with a smoked salmon frittata.
- Vitamin D
Vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin” because your body can make it by using cholesterol and absorbing natural sunshine. Your mood may improveTrusted Source with as little as 10 minutes of sun exposure. This is why light therapy is an important treatment for SAD. Your body can also absorb vitamin D through food.
Food sources of vitamin D include milk, egg yolks, mushrooms, and fish that have bones. You can also get vitamin D in supplement form.
- Dark chocolate
Chocolate has always been a tasty and good way to self-medicate through down times. But a Hershey’s bar or pint of chocolate ice cream isn’t the best way to do it.
Participants in one study were given a dark chocolate mixed drink every day for a month. Results showed significantly improved mood, which researchers linked with a high polyphenol content. Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant.
When you’re feeling down, pick up a bar with the highest cocoa content you can find.
- Turkey
Turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan and melatonin, which are the calming and relaxing chemicals that make you tired after Thanksgiving dinner.
Tapping into turkey’s calming powers is a great, natural way to help your body cut through stressful situations.
You can get turkey in your diet simply through a turkey sandwich, but we suggest you try this turkey rice bowl.
- Bananas
Like turkey, bananas contain tryptophan. Besides that, the carbohydrates from natural sugars and potassium in bananas help fuel your brain. Magnesium, also found in bananas, may improve sleep and reduce anxiety — two symptoms of seasonal depression.
If you’re looking for something besides a banana, try a PBB Smoothie.
Keep learning about food
Dietary changes should never be a replacement for medication or therapy, but they can supplement your current treatments. Discuss these or any other therapies with your doctor and see which are best for you.
Sunlight and serotonin
We’re used to hearing about how too much of the sun’s warm rays can be harmful to your skin. But did you know the right balance can have lots of mood-lifting benefits?
Sunlight and darkness trigger the release of hormones in your brain. Exposure to sunlight is thought to increase the brain’s release of a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused. At night, darker lighting triggers the brain to make another hormone called melatonin. This hormone is responsible for helping you sleep.
Without enough sun exposure, your serotonin levels can dip. Low levels of serotonin are associated with a higher risk of major depression with seasonal pattern (formerly known as seasonal affective disorder or SAD). This is a form of depression triggered by the changing seasons.
A mood boost isn’t the only reason to get increased amounts of sunlight. There are several health benefits associated with catching moderate amounts of rays.
Sunlight and mental health
Decreased sun exposure has been associated with a drop in your serotonin levels, which can lead to major depression with seasonal pattern. The light-induced effects of serotonin are triggered by sunlight that goes in through the eye. Sunlight cues special areas in the retina, which triggers the release of serotonin. So, you’re more likely to experience this type of depression in the winter time, when the days are shorter.
Due to this connection, one of the main treatments for depression with seasonal pattern is light therapy, also known as phototherapy. You can get a light therapy box to have at home. The light from the box mimics natural sunlight that stimulates the brain to make serotonin and reduces excess melatonin.
Buy a light therapy box now.
Exposure to sunlight can also benefit those with:
other types of major depression
premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
pregnant people with depression
Anxiety-related disorders and panic attacks have also been linked with changing seasons and reduced sunlight.
Additional sunlight benefits
The sun’s benefits go beyond fighting stress. The following are some of the other reasons to catch some rays:
Building strong bones
Exposure to the ultraviolet-B radiation in the sun’s rays causes a person’s skin to create vitamin D. According to one study from 2008Trusted Source, in a 30-minute period while wearing a swimsuit, people will make the following vitamin D levels:
50,000 international units (IUs) in most Caucasian people
20,000 to 30,000 IUs in tanned people
8,000 to 10,000 IUs in dark skinned people
The vitamin D made thanks to the sun plays a big role in bone health. Low vitamin D levels have been linked to rickets in children and bone-wasting diseases like osteoporosis and osteomalacia.
Cancer prevention
Although excess sunlight can contribute to skin cancers, a moderate amount of sunlight actually has preventive benefits when it comes to cancer.
According to researchers, those who live in areas with fewer daylight hours are more likely to have some specific cancers than those who live where there’s more sun during the day. These cancers include:
colon cancer
Hodgkin’s lymphoma
ovarian cancer
pancreatic cancer
prostate cancer
Healing skin conditions
According to the World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source, sun exposure might help treat several skin conditions, too. Doctors have recommended UV radiation exposure to treat:
psoriasis
eczema
jaundice
acne
While light therapy isn’t for everyone, a dermatologist can recommend whether light treatments will benefit your specific skin concerns.
Additional conditions
Research studies have revealed preliminary links between sunlight as a potential treatment for several other conditions. These include:
rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
systemic lupus erythematosus
inflammatory bowel disease
thyroiditis
However, more studies need to be conducted before researchers can conclude that sunlight can be a treatment for these and other conditions.
Sunlight and moderation
While there are a lot of good reasons to get sun, the sun emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UV radiation can penetrate the skin and damage cell DNA. This can lead to skin cancer.
Researchers don’t always have an exact measurement for how long you should stay outside to reap the benefits of sunlight. But defining an excess amount of sun exposure depends on your skin type and how direct the sun’s rays are.
People with fair skin typically get a sunburn more quickly than those with darker skin. Also, you’re more likely to get a sunburn going outside when the sun’s rays are more direct. This usually takes place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
According to WHOTrusted Source, getting anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes of sunlight on your arms, hands, and face 2-3 times a week is enough to enjoy the vitamin D-boosting benefits of the sun. Note that the sun must penetrate the skin. Wearing sunscreen or clothing over your skin won’t result in vitamin D production.
But if you’re going to be outside for more than 15 minutes, it’s a good idea to protect your skin. You can do that by applying sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. Wearing a protective hat and shirt can also help.
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Outlook
From treating skin conditions to improving mood, sunlight has many benefits. If you live in higher latitudes with little sunlight, a light box may provide some of its mood-boosting benefits.
Because excess sun exposure is linked with increased skin cancer risk, don’t stay outside too long without sunscreen. If you’re going to be outside for longer than