Researchers from Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, Holland, have found that older people with low blood levels of vitamin D and high blood levels of the parathyroid hormone are more likely to be depressed.
However that it is unclear whether these abnormalities are a cause or a consequence of depression, they suggest that if vitamin D deficiency is a cause rather than a result of depression, vitamin supplements and increased exposure to sunlight could help treat the mood disorder.
The researchers say underlying causes of vitamin D deficiency such as less sun exposure as a result of decreased outdoor activity, different housing or clothing habits and decreased vitamin intake may be secondary to depression, but depression may also be the consequence of poor vitamin D status.
The research is published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, May 2008.
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