Two recent studies emphasize the need for sufficient vitamin D in our diets. One study shows that lack of the vitamin may play a role in obesity and the development of Type 2 diabetes, whereas another recent study links vitamin D deficiency to depression. For the sake of your physical and mental health, make sure you get enough vitamin D!
Vitamin D Deficiency and Diabetes
Research recently published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM) shows that obese children are significantly more likely than non-obese children to have low levels of vitamin D. The same study linked vitamin D deficiency with risk factors for Type 2 diabetes. Obese children with low vitamin D levels were found to have high insulin resistance, when the insulin in the body becomes less effective at breaking down glucose.
Obese children who had poor dietary habits such as skipping breakfast and consuming large amounts of juice and soda tended to have lower vitamin D levels. The study highlights a need for future clinical studies of how vitamin D deficiency may contribute to Type 2 diabetes, and whether treatment using vitamin D can lower the risk of the disease.
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Depression
In one of the largest such studies ever undertaken, psychiatrists working with the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study have found that low levels of vitamin D are linked to depression.
After examining over 12,600 patients, researchers found that higher vitamin D levels significantly reduced a person's risk for depression, especially for people who had a prior history of depression. Low vitamin D levels were associated with a higher risk of current depression, especially for patients with a prior history of the disorder. In the U.S., nearly 1 in 10 adults suffer from major depressive disorder.
The study did not address whether increasing vitamin D intake improved symptoms, and more research needs to be done about how vitamin D chemically affects depression. Researchers believe that the vitamin may affect neurotransmitters, inflammatory markers, and other factors.
Other Conditions Associated with Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D is essential for building bones, as it helps your body to use the calcium you take in your diet. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a host of other medical conditions, such as low bone density and an increased risk of bone fractures, and has also been linked to other conditions such as cancer, asthma, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, multiple sclerosis, and cognitive impairment in the elderly.
Getting Enough Vitamin D
Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because your body produces it in response to sunlight. Getting 10 minutes of sun exposure a day (without sunscreen) is enough to lower your risk of vitamin D deficiency (although you should limit sunscreen-free exposure to the sun to reduce your risk of burning and skin cancer). The vitamin is also naturally present in fish, egg yolks, and dairy products. People who follow a strict vegetarian diet may be at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency.
Your doctor can test you for vitamin D deficiency and recommend an appropriate course of treatment, which may or may not include vitamin D supplementation.
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