Vitamin D3 is commonly used for a wide range of health concerns – from bone health to immune regulation to mental health. There is strong evidence for using Vitamin D for depression.

Effectiveness of Vitamin D for Depression

There is strong data showing that vitamin D levels in the blood inversely correlate with clinical depression[12]. This means if someone has low vitamin D3 there is a correlation with depression; this does not mean low vitamin D3 causes depression. The next logical step is to determine if supplementing with vitamin D3 can benefit those suffering with depression. The answer is yes (in some cases).

There are many meta-analyses looking at numerous studies investigating the effects of Vitamin D for depression. “Traditional use and epidemiological studies indicate Vitamin D has therapeutic effects in depression [12].

Why is There Research Showing Vitamin D3 Does Not Work?

Although there is abundant research showing vitamin D3 is helpful for treating depression, there is some research that shows that vitamin D3 isn’t effective.

There is actually research looking at why these trials don’t seem to be effective, but it was determined those trials tend not to use vitamin D3 in appropriate therapeutic dosages. This is something your naturopath can help with.

How Do We Manage Depression?

At Absolute Health and Wellness, we try to help those suffering from depression with a well-rounded approach. For some people that includes seeing our counsellor, who works with patients using various tools including CBT. For other people it may be seeing one of our naturopaths who can use things like vitamin D3, St. Johns Wort, Acupuncture or other tools. Some patients may benefit from seeing a combination of the two. If you’re looking for some help in managing depression, give our clinic a call.