Connection Between Vitamin D Deficiency and Depression

[tex]

Hi All,

Here's an interesting report on how vitamin D deficiency is linked with depression. The first link is a report in foodproductiondaily.com, and the second is an abstract for the original article published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

http://foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng. ... ession-pth

http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/65/5/508

Tex

[mle_ii]

Thanks Tex!

Given lights effect on depression it makes sense. And also given fish oils effect on depression it makes sense too.

It's rather ironic that so many physical things can effect the brain, yet so often Drs seem to say that symptoms or diseases are caused by things in your head as in mental NOT physical.

For example, SIBO can lead to a reduction in serotonin levels, depleted serotonin levels can cause psychological symptoms, thus IBS (at least those with SIBO) get put into the diagnosis of take an antidepressant or stress less and it will all go away. *sigh*

I'm really thinking that a lot of mental problems are indeed physical rather than just psychological in nature.

[tex]

Mike,

I think you're right - the "experts" just haven't made all the connections, yet.

Tex

[mini]

Why has it taken medical research so long to figure this one out? It is so very annoying that doctors keep saying everything is 'all in our head' dweebs, poppy cock etc . I remember approx 13 years ago a GP saying to me 'I believe your depression is bio-chemical, save me from doctors please, it only took me 20 years to get a doctor to accept this!!! I also hate the fact that the medical profession refers to depression as 'a mental health problem'!

I am sorry for ranting lol I promise to be good and shut up now after all 'it is all in my head' hmm yes like the MC was

[starfire]

Thanks for the articles. I think I'm going to increase my D supplement. I've been taking 400 so I think I'll start taking 2 of them.

I'm well acquainted with depression and I hate it.

Love Shirley

[mle_ii]

Wow, speaking of physical things affecting depression. Look what was added today to pubmed.

The probiotic Bifidobacteria infantis: An assessment of potential antidepressant properties in the rat.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1845 ... stractPlus

It is becoming increasingly apparent that probiotics are important to the health of the host. The absence of probiotic bacteria in the gut can have adverse effects not only locally in the gut, but has also been shown to affect central HPA and monoaminergic activity, features that have been implicated in the aetiology of depression. To evaluate the potential antidepressant properties of probiotics, we tested rats chronically treated with Bifidobacteria infantis in the forced swim test, and also assessed the effects on immune, neuroendocrine and central monoaminergic activity. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated for 14days with B. infantis. Probiotic administration in naive rats had no effect on swim behaviours on day 3 or day 14 following the commencement of treatment. However, there was a significant attenuation of IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha and IL-6 cytokines following mitogen stimulation (p<0.05) in probiotic-treated rats relative to controls. Furthermore, there was a marked increase in plasma concentrations of tryptophan (p<0.005) and kynurenic acid (p<0.05) in the bifidobacteria-treated rats when compared to controls. Bifidobacteria treatment also resulted in a reduced 5-HIAA concentration in the frontal cortex and a decrease in DOPAC in the amygdaloid cortex. The attenuation of pro-inflammatory immune responses, and the elevation of the serotonergic precursor, tryptophan by bifidobacteria treatment, provides encouraging evidence in support of the proposition that this probiotic may possess antidepressant properties. However, these findings are preliminary and further investigation into the precise mechanisms involved, is warranted.

My emphasis.

[tex]

Hmmmmmm.