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Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#151

Post by zamfi »

throckmortra wrote: post #2

My first winter in NYC was very rough and I didn't understand why at first. I got a blood test at the doc and he said my vitamin D was very low. I committed to walking in the sun at least a half hour a day, weather permitting, and I never really had issues again. Part of the issue was I was spending a lot of time walking outside but not in sunlight due to the tall buildings. Just my anecdotal 2c

If you were walking around outside in the winter and this helped, that's pretty good evidence that sun exposure is beneficial for you outside of vitamin D production.

In the winter months in NYC, the UV intensity is too low to cause vitamin D production in the skin.

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#152

Post by canucker2016 »

slaymaker1907 wrote: post #137
alwillis wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 t…

It's not the total amount of sodium but the concentration of the dose of sodium which will affect your blood pressure.

see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbSic4Oo8ME&t=420s

So if your food tastes salty, you should drink more water to dilute the concentration (and hopefully you won't drink so much water to induce hyponatremia - it's a balancing act).

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#153

Post by bromuro »

jokoon wrote: post #87

I recently wondered if bad dental hygiene can increase or cause more depression. Since oral hygiene can cause bad stuff in the stomach, maybe it can also lead to bad stuff in the digestive system...

Dental problems do cause depression. Health problems in general. Or is depression to cause health issues?

Mens sana in corpore sano.

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#154

Post by alwillis »

slaymaker1907 wrote: post #137
alwillis wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 t…

I recently listened to a great podcast [1] on the importance of salt and its role in proper brain functioning—the host is a tenured professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford.

Part of the into: Additionally, I examine research findings suggesting that some individuals might benefit from increased intake of sodium and other electrolytes (magnesium and potassium) to enhance mental performance, lessen anxiety, and offset dizziness. Yet, other people may need less sodium. I discuss how you can determine your optimal sodium intake and why sodium intake levels need to be uniquely tailored to an individual’s lifestyle.

[1]: https://hubermanlab.com/using-salt-to-optimize-mental-and-ph...

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#155

Post by afr0ck »

noneeeed wrote: post #39
thinkingemote wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed, the UK which is further north than the majority of Canada's population has effective vitamin D from the Sun only from March to September. Spring Equinox to autumn equinox basically. The sun is too low even though it might be much warmer than lower latitudes!

Yurp. I live in the south of England and even here I take vit D for pretty much that time period or I end up with little to no energy. I always make sure to go outside as much as I can, but when the sun is coming up at 8am and has gone down by 6pm it's pretty hard to get enough daylight and also work.

Worse in Edinburgh. Sunset is at 4pm for god's sake.

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#156

Post by rohitb91 »

olah_1 wrote: post #10
carabiner wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live in Seattle and have been depressed for a while. I had my Vitamin D3 levels checked via blood test, and they were really low. Started taking 5,000 IU per day, and I feel exactly the same as before.

I have never felt an affect from oral vitamins in any situation. Sitting in the sun however seems to do more than just “increase vitamin d levels”. The sensation is just overwhelmingly lovely. It seems to reduce cortisol, makes you feel tired in a euphoric way. Animals love to warm their fur in shafts of sunlight too. Perhaps we should be thinking more in terms of joyful activities in general and less trying to bioha…

100% the same for me as well. When I sit in the sun I feel invigorated, I Feel a rush of pleasant feelings throughout my body.

I take vitamin D regularly, 4000iu+, and I don’t feel anything remarkable. With the sun it’s almost an instant jolt of joy.

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#157

Post by rscho »

xattt wrote: post #140
alwillis wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Of course not

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#158

Post by hnick »

olah_1 wrote: post #10
carabiner wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live in Seattle and have been depressed for a while. I had my Vitamin D3 levels checked via blood test, and they were really low. Started taking 5,000 IU per day, and I feel exactly the same as before.

I have never felt an affect from oral vitamins in any situation. Sitting in the sun however seems to do more than just “increase vitamin d levels”. The sensation is just overwhelmingly lovely. It seems to reduce cortisol, makes you feel tired in a euphoric way. Animals love to warm their fur in shafts of sunlight too. Perhaps we should be thinking more in terms of joyful activities in general and less trying to bioha…

Yes sunlight makes me extremely tired, like if I go for a walk or a picnic or something I'll end up far more exhausted than anything else can explain. I wonder if it's some kind of overcompensating effect due to my typical lack of it.

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#159

Post by ekianjo »

dragonwriter wrote: post #128
ekianjo wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the 600 IU RDA is clearly a mistake in an earlier publication. it should be 10x that.

No, 600 IU (15mcg) is the actual RDA. There's a lot of belief that it's an error, but it's not a typographical error.

The actual RDA is not correct.

Re: Vitamin D and Depression (2020)

#160

Post by radu_floricica »

throckmortra wrote: post #2

My first winter in NYC was very rough and I didn't understand why at first. I got a blood test at the doc and he said my vitamin D was very low. I committed to walking in the sun at least a half hour a day, weather permitting, and I never really had issues again. Part of the issue was I was spending a lot of time walking outside but not in sunlight due to the tall buildings. Just my anecdotal 2c

That was most likely seasonal affective disorder (SAD, or winter blues). I've had a bad winter once something like 20 years ago, and it was so bad that I'm still obsessed with proper indoor lighting. tl;dr of it is that you want soft, yellow light in the evenings, and full spectrum, much more powerful than you think in the rest of the day, especially mornings.
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