Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of asthma, cancer and chronic pain.

Now Georgia State University researchers say low vitamin D levels increase risk of seasonal affective disorder..

A research team led by Alan Stewart published the results of this work in the journal Medical Hypotheses..

seasonal affective disorder. seasonal affective disorder, SAD) is a type of depression that begins in the fall and continues throughout the winter. This condition affects up to 10% of the population of the United States.. Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder include: anxiety, depressed mood, weakness, trouble concentrating, irritability, guilt, and hopelessness.

Although researchers do not know the exact cause of SAD, numerous scientific papers suggest that this condition may be caused by a lack of sunlight in certain months or in certain geographic areas.. Seasonal affective disorder is more likely to affect residents of northern latitudes and regions where it is mostly cloudy and there is little sun..

One of the leading hypotheses is that in SAD, lack of sun disrupts the body's biological clock, which is essential for proper regulation of mood, sleep, and hormonal levels.. Another hypothesis states that lack of sunlight causes an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine and serotonin.. They are involved in mood regulation.

Link between depression and vitamin D deficiency.

In the latest study, Stewart and his colleagues presented the theory that vitamin D deficiency may be the cause of both of the disorders we discussed above.. In other words, both options are correct, and hypovitaminosis D is to blame in both cases..

A few facts about seasonal affective disorder:.

•SAD most often develops in youth.

• About 75% of SAD patients are women.

•Treatment includes antidepressants and light therapy "

They note that vitamin D levels in the body change as the seasons change in response to changes in light..

Study co-author Michael Kimlin of the Queensland University of Technology in Australia says vitamin D is part of the synthesis of dopamine and serotonin.. He notes that in the past, scientists have linked low levels of these neurotransmitters to depressive disorders..

“Thus, it is logical to suggest an association between low vitamin D levels and depressive symptoms.. Research confirms that many patients with depression actually have low blood levels of vitamin D,” writes Kimlin..

Researchers are also confident that there is a relationship between vitamin D levels and skin pigmentation, and this can also be linked to the risk of seasonal affective disorder.. Studies show that dark-skinned people are at increased risk of vitamin D deficiency because large amounts of pigment prevent sunlight from reaching the body and preventing the body from synthesizing the vitamin.. Therefore, when dark-skinned people move from their native southern regions to northern latitudes, their risk of depression increases..

Commenting on these theories, Kimlin said: “We know for a fact that adequate levels of vitamin D are necessary to maintain good emotional health.. A few minutes in the sun every day should be enough to maintain this level.”.

Vitamin D and schizophrenia.

This is not the first study to link vitamin D deficiency and mental health problems.. In July 2014, Medical News Today reported that low vitamin D levels increased the likelihood of developing schizophrenia by 2.16 times..

Dr. Ahmad Esmaillzadeh and his colleagues from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (Iran), who conducted this curious study, write: “Our scientific work confirms the theory that vitamin D has a significant impact on human mental health.. Further work is needed to determine the impact of the growing problem of hypovitaminosis D on public health.”.

medbe. en.