Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

131–140 of 221 posts

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#131

Post by nradov »

juve1996 wrote: post #16
lordentropy wrote: post #12

Daily morning and afternoon exposure to bright light might actually be more important to reducing depression than direct vitamin D supplementation. Low vitamin D might just be an indicator that you are not getting enough sunlight. Sunlight also affects melatonin and serotonin levels, and synchronizes your Circadian rhythm. Not sure why that article doesn't talk about Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and how bright…

Anecdotally agree with this. I have vitamin D deficiency, was given 50,000 IU a week vitamin D to get it up. Never worked. Went to the beach one week and got blood tested again and my vitamin D levels climbed significantly. Now I make it a point to get outside and sunlight

In rare cases, hypovitaminosis D can be a symptom of heavy metal toxicity. If someone is getting adequate vitamin D intake but levels are still low then it can be worth testing for metals levels.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07315724.1994.10...

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#132

Post by alwillis »

phkahler wrote: post #113
BiteCode_dev wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And yet lots of dermatologists will tell you to avoid sunlight. The medical community is full of contradictions.

>> The medical community is full of contradictions. We added iodine to salt to prevent deficiency, then decades later told everyone to avoid salt. I've found iodine to be a huge piece of the puzzle - certainly not a panacea but one of several go to solutions.

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1500 milligrams of sodium per day.

Because sodium is being added to packaged and processed foods, the average American was getting way more sodium than the recommended amount. And given the number of obese people and those with hypertension who are salt-sensitive, lots of people were getting way more sodium than was healthy for them.

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#134

Post by dragonwriter »

TameAntelope wrote: post #111
LinuxBender wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It sounds like there are a ton of confounding variables possible, not to mention your own personal biases in interpreting any potential causality. Absolutely 100% this. For years I was following the scientific method, reading countless papers on PubMed, binge watching videos from micro biologists and eventually reached the conclusion that if I continued down that path my progress would be paralyzed by the scientific…

> I stand by my words that the RDA is far too low for most people today given the lack of sunlight exposure, the poor diets, the high levels of stress and inflammation from bad diets and so many more factors. You aren't qualified to make this statement, doctor or no, especially considering it's in direct contradiction to consensus medical advice.

> especially considering it's in direct contradiction to consensus medical advice

The RDA, in general, is not necessarily the same as current consensus medical advice. In fact, ISTR that it has actually been clearly established that the RDA for Vitamin D was, given it's premises, based on erroneous calculations, and that there is broadly accepted clinical evidence that it is too low, but the government just hasn't acted to update it.

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#135

Post by ge96 »

I feel amazing being outside, clear blue day, no clouds, green everywhere.

I take photos on these days and use em as a wallpaper on my big monitor, so even in winter time I can remember these times.

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#136

Post by lesgobrandon »

lordentropy wrote: post #12

Daily morning and afternoon exposure to bright light might actually be more important to reducing depression than direct vitamin D supplementation. Low vitamin D might just be an indicator that you are not getting enough sunlight. Sunlight also affects melatonin and serotonin levels, and synchronizes your Circadian rhythm. Not sure why that article doesn't talk about Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and how bright…

No post body was provided.

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#137

Post by slaymaker1907 »

alwillis wrote: post #132
phkahler wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> The medical community is full of contradictions. We added iodine to salt to prevent deficiency, then decades later told everyone to avoid salt. I've found iodine to be a huge piece of the puzzle - certainly not a panacea but one of several go to solutions.

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1500 milligrams of sodium per day. Because sodium is being added to packaged and processed foods, the average American was getting way more sodium than the recommended amount. And given the number of obese people and those with hypertension who are salt-sensitive, lots of people were getting way more sodium than was healthy for them.

There's also ample evidence that 1500mg is too low. https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20140402/cdc-salt-gu....

Unlike white sugar which seems to be bad for humans in nearly any amount, salt is an essential nutrient. I suspect it was so demonized as an attempt to deflect blame off of other food additives such as sugar. Low sodium diets may make sense for people with high blood pressure, but it isn't something that everybody should be doing.

It seems grossly irresponsible to only highlight the dangers of high sodium while ignoring the dangers of low sodium diets.

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#138

Post by TameAntelope »

dragonwriter wrote: post #134
TameAntelope wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I stand by my words that the RDA is far too low for most people today given the lack of sunlight exposure, the poor diets, the high levels of stress and inflammation from bad diets and so many more factors. You aren't qualified to make this statement, doctor or no, especially considering it's in direct contradiction to consensus medical advice.

> especially considering it's in direct contradiction to consensus medical advice The RDA, in general, is not necessarily the same as current consensus medical advice. In fact, ISTR that it has actually been clearly established that the RDA for Vitamin D was, given it's premises, based on erroneous calculations, and that there is broadly accepted clinical evidence that it is too low, but the government just hasn't ac…

We're not talking a few thousand IU above RDA, the person I replied to is 10x higher than the "Tolerable Upper Intake Level":

> The Tolerable Upper Intake Level is the maximum daily intake unlikely to cause harmful effects on health. The UL for vitamin D for adults and children ages 9+ is 4,000 IU. [0]

[0] https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-d/

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#139

Post by HomeGear »

jamal-kumar wrote: post #64
jghefner wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is what I'm talking about. The idea that "going for a walk and getting sunlight is good for depression" is so universally unchallengable that I must live somewhere terrible if it doesn't work for me.

Quoted post unavailable.

You don’t know anybody happy in Portland OR? lol. What a silly statement.

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#140

Post by xattt »

alwillis wrote: post #132
phkahler wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> The medical community is full of contradictions. We added iodine to salt to prevent deficiency, then decades later told everyone to avoid salt. I've found iodine to be a huge piece of the puzzle - certainly not a panacea but one of several go to solutions.

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1500 milligrams of sodium per day. Because sodium is being added to packaged and processed foods, the average American was getting way more sodium than the recommended amount. And given the number of obese people and those with hypertension who are salt-sensitive, lots of people were getting way more sodium than was healthy for them.

Is salt added to processed foods iodated?
Post reply on HN