How vitamin D beats depression

OLDER people who don’t have enough vitamin D – something hard to get in sun-shy Ireland – are at an increased risk of depression, new research shows.

A long-term study by Trinity College Dublin has found that vitamin D deficiency is associated with a 75% increase in the risk of developing depression in those aged 50 or above.

The study assessed almost 4,000 participants and, on a follow-up four years later, 400 of them were depressed. In this group, the vitamin D deficiency was higher.

Senior author of the study, Dr Eamon Laird said the findings are especially relevant for Ireland coming into the winter months.

‘Our previous research has shown that one in eight older adults are deficient in the summer and one in four during the winter. Only around 8% of older Irish adults report taking a vitamin D supplement.’

‘Given that vitamin D is safe in the recommended intakes and is relatively cheap, this study adds to the growing evidence on the benefits of vitamin D for health,’ he said.

‘It also helps to continue to impress the need on our public health bodies to develop Irish vitamin D recommendations for the general public. Up to this point, these are severely lacking.’

The authors also said that similar studies have shown vitamin D deficiency has been linked to conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.