What is vitamin D? - The best anti-depressant

Why vitamin D is much better than anti-depressants 

This fat-soluble vitamin is one of the most important primary nutrients that made our ancestors strong and vigorous and kept them free from disease.

There are numerous studies that prove the effectiveness of vitamin D3 against cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

But vitamin D3 also has a mental or emotional effect. New studies confirm this. 

Multiply the feel-good substances in your brain with vitamin D  

Vitamin D3 can even help fight depression by helping the human brain produce serotonin - a neurotransmitter that regulates mood. In fact, vitamin D3 can significantly increase serotonin levels - from double to 30 times.

Norwegian doctors have found that taking vitamin D3, especially in high amounts, improves the symptoms of depression.

This is good news, not least because depression noticeably accelerates the ageing process.

Not many doctors know about the link between depression and ageing. But there is a direct link: The telomere lengths (which give clear indications of life expectancy) of people with emotional disorders are significantly shorter, accelerating the aging process by no less than 10 years. (Telomeres are the protective caps at the end of chromosomes. Shortened telomeres are synonymous with rapid ageing and early death). 

But even if you are already taking food supplements containing vitamin D3, this does not mean that you are benefiting fully from them.

Most people who use appropriate supplements think they are getting enough vitamin D3. However, this is often not the case. Serious deficiencies have been found in blood tests of patients taking 2,000 to 3,000 units (I.U.) per day. And this is by no means an isolated problem. A study conducted as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that only 10% of the US population has a therapeutically effective level of vitamin D3 in their bodies. 

What is the cause of a vitamin D deficiency? 

Well, unlike our ancestors, most people today work indoors and hardly ever get out in the sun. And our industrially processed foods and meat from meat factories lack the important nutrients that were still present in the diet of our ancestors. This increases the likelihood that you won't get enough vitamin D3, which in turn makes you more susceptible to age-related diseases. 

But it's never too late to do something about it. 

3 simple steps on how to get more vitamin D3 

The therapeutically effective vitamin D3 level can be classified as between 40 and 60ng/ml.

To achieve this level, a dose of 8,000 iUs of vitamin D3 per day is recommended. 

How do you do that? Quite simply ...

Step 1: 

Don't be afraid of the sun. As long as you avoid sunburn, it's good to get a little midday sun for about 10 to 20 minutes. This is enough for 3,000 to 5,000 IUs of vitamin D3.

But you should not forget one thing: It is not enough to simply go for a walk. You also need to expose the skin that is usually covered to the sun. For example, if you are wearing a shirt, try to take it off, even if you are only in your garden for a few minutes. Going out in the sun when your entire skin is covered will not have the same effect. 

Step 2:

Eat foods rich in vitamin D3, every day if possible. A portion of cooked wild salmon or cooked mackerel each contain about 350 IU of vitamin D3. Sardines and tuna in oil each contain 225 IU of vitamin D3. And a teaspoon of cod liver oil contains almost 1,400 IUs of vitamin D3. 

Step 3: 

Take a dietary supplement. This is because your diet may not provide you with enough vitamin D3. In this context, we recommend the supplement cholecalciferol. This is the same vitamin that your body produces. In any case, avoid synthetic vitamin D2, which is found in most multivitamins. It is less effective and less soluble. 

Here are a few more tips:

Make sure you take magnesium together with your vitamin D3, between 600 and 1,000 mg per day. This is because if you take a lot of vitamin D3, your magnesium levels can drop. You should avoid this because magnesium is responsible for more than 300 different chemical reactions in your body, including energy production and the protection of your heart and blood vessels.

Sources (in English):

Jorde, R., Sneve, M., Figenschau, Y., Svartberg, J. & Waterloo, K. (2008, December). Effects of vitamin D supplementation on symptoms of depression in overweight and obese subjects: randomized double blind trial. Journal of Internal Medicine, 264(6):599-609, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2796.2008.02008.x.

Patrick, R. P., & Ames, B. N. (2014). Vitamin D hormone regulates serotonin synthesis. Part 1: relevance for autism. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 28(6), 2398–2413. doi: 10.1096/fj.13-246546