Vitamin D helps encourage serotonin production and release. If you're not getting enough vitamin D, taking a supplement may help reduce symptoms related to low serotonin levels, but check with your doctor before beginning supplementation.
Second, the vitamin helps the body release serotonin that it produces. A third way that deficiency can lead to depression is through the brain chemical dopamine. Its levels are also influenced by Vitamin D. Dopamine is another essential neurotransmitter that influences mood, pleasure, and cognitive functions.
Vitamin D has many roles in your body, including the regulation of certain neurotransmitters like dopamine ( 37 ). One study showed decreased dopamine levels in vitamin-D-deprived mice and improved levels when supplementing with vitamin D3 ( 38 ).
Vitamin D may regulate mood and reduce depression
Research has shown that vitamin D might play an important role in regulating mood and decreasing the risk of depression. A review of 7,534 people found that those experiencing negative emotions who received vitamin D supplements noticed an improvement in symptoms.
The body makes vitamin D in a chemical reaction that occurs when sunlight hits the skin. This reaction produces cholecalciferol, and the liver converts it to calcidiol. The kidneys then convert the substance to calcitriol, which is the active form of the hormone in the body.
Eating foods that contain the essential amino acid known as tryptophan can help the body to produce more serotonin. Foods, including salmon, eggs, spinach, and seeds are among those that help boost serotonin naturally.
Antidepressant medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often the first-line treatment of symptoms of serotonin deficiency such as depression and anxiety. SSRIs help your body use serotonin more efficiently.
Increasing serotonin levels can be done naturally. The best ways to do this are eating well, getting out in the sun or supplementing with vitamin D, exercising, taking adaptogens, and managing stress. Serotonin can also be increased synthetically with antidepressants.
Brain serotonin is synthesized from tryptophan by tryptophan hydroxylase 2, which is transcriptionally activated by vitamin D hormone. Inadequate levels of vitamin D (∼70% of the population) and omega-3 fatty acids are common, suggesting that brain serotonin synthesis is not optimal.
Research suggests that supplementing with magnesium may help to increase serotonin levels. In fact, low serotonin levels have been observed in patients with a magnesium deficiency. The study that discussed raising serotonin with magnesium reported success.
This increase in serotonin can happen if you: Take more than one medication that affects serotonin levels. Recently started on a medication or increased the dose of a medication known to increase serotonin levels. Take too much of one serotonin-related medication, accidentally or on purpose.
Certain drugs and substances such as caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, NutraSweet, antidepressants, and some cholesterol-lowering medications deplete serotonin and other neurotransmitter levels. Hormone changes cause low levels of serotonin and neurotransmitter imbalances.
Exposure to either the sun or to the bright light meant to replicate it is another way to naturally increase serotonin levels. Light therapy is one of the main treatments for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the winter blues that may be triggered by a drop in serotonin levels.
Vitamin D functions by stimulating intestinal calcium and phosphorus absorption, by stimulating bone calcium mobilization, and by increasing renal reabsorption of calcium in the distal tubule. These functions on bone and possibly kidney, but not intestine, require the parathyroid hormone.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
conducted a study showing the effect of vitamin D on both widespread neurotransmitter changes (glutamine/noradrenaline) and regionally selective neurotransmitter changes (dopamine/serotonin). It concluded that developmental vitamin D deficiency leads to these brain changes [30-31].
Vitamin D keeps your immune system strong and can help regulate insulin levels. It keeps your energy levels up and enhances your mood, too.
Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to relieve depressive symptoms in patients with low levels [60]. It is important to note that these studies evaluated the effects of vitamin D supplementation alone, not compared with antidepressants.