The effect of vitamin D supplementation on depressive symptoms in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Mikola T, Marx W, Lane MM
Published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
Methodology
Systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation reporting validated depressive-symptom outcomes in adults, with subgroup and sensitivity analyses.
Key Findings
Meta-analysis of 41 randomised trials (53,235 participants) found vitamin D supplementation produced a small but statistically significant reduction in depressive symptoms versus placebo (SMD approximately -0.11), with larger effects in trials of people with clinically significant depression and in those using doses of at least 2,000 IU/day for 8 weeks or more; effects in general populations were negligible.
Conclusions
Vitamin D supplementation >= 2,000 IU/day appears to reduce depressive symptoms. Future research should investigate possible benefits of augmenting standard treatments with vitamin D in clinical depression.
Limitations
High statistical heterogeneity; most trials measured depression as a secondary outcome using varied scales; few participants were vitamin D deficient at baseline; small pooled effect size of uncertain clinical relevance; risk of publication bias.
Supplements Studied
Vitamin D supplementation >= 2,000 IU/day appears to reduce depressive symptoms. Future research should investigate possible benefits of augmenting standard treatments with vitamin D in clinical depression.
Related Health Concerns
Study Details
Access Study
Disclosures
Funding
Academic and public research funding (Finnish and Australian institutions)
This information is for educational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any supplement regimen.