Super interesting, just sad that Omega-3 supplements are one of the main drivers of unsustainable Krill overfishing https://seashepherd.org/2025/02/25/protecting-the-oceans-vit...
Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants
301–310 of 669 posts
Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants
#302Earlier quoted context omitted.
The truth about antidepressants is that the majority of people with depression that respond to an antidepressant would also have responded to a placebo. This doesn't mean that their depression isn't real or that antidepressants "don't work". It just means that placebo has a relatively high response rate in trials for depression. The hate is (among other points) because they are only arguably, marginally, better than…
> The truth about antidepressants is that the majority of people with depression that respond to an antidepressant would also have responded to a placebo. ^ citation needed What does "would have responded" mean? Are you saying that >50% of people with depression that are "helped" by antidepressant, would have been helped _to a similar extend_ with a placebo?
I believe that is indeed what they meant. The perception of being given a remedy is very powerful indeed, especially for issues ultimately linked to the mind.
That placebos can work should not be seen as undermining the severity or pain of the depression, but rather underline the power of tricking the mind into improvement.
Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants
#303Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can you provide a link to the newspaper article at least while whining about the downvotes?
I would like to, but I cannot, since it is a region-local newspaper that comes as actual paper, that only has a paid online offer, to which I have no access, nor could I post a link to that. If I went through recent paper form newspaper, I could get a photo of the text in German, but then I would (A) need to spend that time, and (B) need a place to upload pictures, without having to make an account, and only then get…
That's not unreasonable, but then you also didn't really "cite" your source. Even without photographing the paper, giving the name of it, article title, or author would go a long way.
I think the downvotes are harsh btw and in general HNers have gotten too reflexively downvoting IMHO.
Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants
#304Can I just add: In addition to this, if you struggle with anxiety or have some sort of ADHD, then try cutting out caffeine entirely . Not just switching to "decaf" (which isn't), but cutting out tea and coffee, and switching to an alternative like Barleycup. Doing this has had a massive positive effect for me, and combined with decent nutrition and daily exercise, has been wonderful.
> if you struggle with anxiety or have some sort of ADHD Those are two different things. Cutting out caffeine can help with anxiety but not ADHD. It's the opposite for ADHD, stimulates help significantly.
This is not true. Caffeine is not necessarily helpful for ADHD. It has a different mechanism of action from ADHD stimulants. They are not interchangeable. Not all stimulants help ADHD.
Also there’s a growing trend of diagnosing every focus problem as ADHD when many patients might have focus problems secondary to another condition like anxiety. It’s sadly all too common to find someone who believes they have ADHD due to TikTok self diagnosis or even a lazy doctor’s diagnosis but their core problem is actually anxiety. For these people, stimulants of any kind can actually worsen focus even if then provide a short term perception of helping due to the energy boost.
Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants
#305Your body makes Vitamin D when in sunlight. Could it be that sunlight - and the whole being outdoors situation - is the thing that helps rather than vitamin d levels?
Interesting point, there is at least one theory out there which says that neither sunlight nor Vitamin D is necessary if an individual is really healthy. The ones that feel better on the Sun and/or Vitamin D are people who are at least mildly unhealthy and it's of form of addiction where the individual ought to keep taking something to just not feel miserable.
Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants
#306Most commonly from lanolin, a grease extracted from sheep's wool.
It's processed into (7-DHC), the same compound in human skin.
7-DHC is bombarded with UV light, triggering a chemical reaction that creates Vitamin D3.
Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants
#307The first thing I would do in case of depression is to make sure that the patient's energy levels are good and that mitochondria and other energy-related biochem phenomena work as expected.
I know first-hand that low energy-levels and lacking energy production mechanically lead to depression.
Also, look at how people (children also) experience the world and their relationships and their stresses when they are tired (or even just hungry) compared to when they are fit...
Fix those, and the depression might be gone.
This is not bashing against anti-depressants, they play their role to. But in some cases, energy-management is key.
Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants
#308How many of you feel worse when taking vitamin D supplements? Alternatively how many of you feel only temporarily better?
Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants
#309Be careful - many studies in the Vitamin D meta-analysis *enrolled patients already taking antidepressants.* [1] Reporting effect sizes without specifying "on which population?" is misleading. (As an aside, Cohen would be the person not to tell you to assign qualitative values to effect sizes. They are as arbitrary as any other threshold used by working statisticians.) [1] https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psyc…
Based on your own citation, this is untrue. The citation you have linked is a meta analysis of 31 trials, many of which specify no medication use at recruitment.
You are however correct about population being important (which is a big reason meta analyses can be very useful).
Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants
#310Because it's common to hate on antidepressants, I've always personally had a bias against them. For the past 15-20 years, november thru february are basically a writeoff due for me due to seasonal affective disorder. Cold showers, exercise, no alcohol, strict sleeping rituals. Vitamin d. I can still sleep 11 hours and feel like reheated cat shit. Enter citalopram. "It will take up to six weeks to dial in" they said.…
Same I am in outstanding physical health and my diet / exercise is excellent. Taking Lexipro has made a massive improvement on my emotional bandwidth. I take vitamin D / fish oil and bits of other supplements. At least for me no question this medication even at a 10mg dose has made a major positive impact.