A new study has found that supplementing using vitamin D may help alleviate symptoms of depression in adults suffering from the mental health condition. The study, which involved an extensive meta-analysis, was carried out by a global team of scientists and included numerous studies from various regions of the globe.
Depression symptoms can cause substantial disease burden globally, which isn’t helped by the fact that many currently used antidepressants aren’t therapeutically effective. This is why alternative methods of relieving the symptoms of depression are being studied in nutritional research.
Vitamin D is an important nutrient for the body, which helps absorb calcium. This key vitamin is also essential for maintaining healthy teeth and bones and the regulation of immune function and inflammation. It is believed that vitamin D regulates the disturbances in the central nervous system, which have been linked to depression. Additionally, cross-sectional research has also observed a link between deficiency of vitamin D and symptoms of depression.
It should be noted that prior meta-analyses on the effects observed in patients with depression who supplement with vitamin D haven’t been conclusive.
This new meta-analysis on the link between supplementing with vitamin D in patients with depression is the biggest one published thus far, which includes results from more than forty studies from across the globe. In a meta-analysis, results from different studies are combined, and then a statistical analysis is conducted.
The studies included looked into the effectiveness of vitamin D in alleviating depression symptoms in adults by carrying out placebo-controlled trials in some populations. These studies involved patients with depression and individuals suffering from a range of physical conditions, as well as the general population.
The meta-analyses results demonstrated that supplementation with vitamin D was effective, when compared to a placebo, in alleviating symptoms of depression. The researchers noted that while the typical vitamin D supplement administered daily ranged between 50 mg and 100 mg, there were major differences in the doses used.
The lead author of the study, Tuomas Mikola of the University of Eastern Finland, stated that in spite of this meta-analysis’ broad scope, the evidence’s certainty remained low, because of the risk of bias linked to a huge number of studies.
Mikola, who is a doctoral researcher at the Institute of Clinical Medicine, concluded that the analysis’ findings would encourage new trials in depressive patients and could provide insight into the potential role vitamin D could play in treating depression.
This meta-analysis was conducted through an international collaboration between U.S., Australian and Finnish researchers.
For patients with severe depression, more may be needed to bring symptoms under control or even reverse the course of mental health illnesses. Many companies, such as Silo Pharma Inc. (OTCQB: SILO), are developing novel formulations to accomplish this.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Silo Pharma Inc. (OTCQB: SILO) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/SILO
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