Vitamin D and schizophrenia

Levels of vitamin D in newborn children's blood could be linked to their risk of developing schizophrenia in later life. A team of researchers, led by John J. McGrath of the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, studied blood samples taken from 848 new-born babies, half of whom were later diagnosed with schizophrenia. Those babies who had low or very high levels of vitamin D in their bloodstream were found to be at an increased risk of schizophrenia.

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Vitamin D and cognition

Lower levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream could be associated with cognitive impairments in older men. Researchers from the University of Manchester tested cognitive performance and vitamin D levels in 3133 men between the ages of 40 and 79. Those with low levels of vitamin D scored worse on a standard test of cognitive ability than people with normal levels. The average level of vitamin D of the participants was 63 nanomoles per litre; levels of 90 to 140 nanomoles are considered healthy.

You can find out more about this research at

http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKTRE54S67820090529?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Vitamin D and mental agility

Vitamin D could help to keep people mentally sharper as they get older. Vitamin D is produced by the body when skin is exposed to sunlight and is also found in certain foods, such as oily fish. Recent studies have indicated that it could protect against cancer, artery disease and tuberculosis. Researchers from the University of Manchester compared the cognitive performance of more than 3,000 men, aged between 40 and 79, and found that those who had low levels of vitamin D did worse on a task designed to test mental agility. The link between low levels of vitamin D and poor performance held true even after allowing for levels of education, depression, physical activity and measures of physical performance.

You can read more about this research at

http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKTRE54J7LV20090520?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&sp=true

Vitamin D deficiency in inpatients

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a number of different medical conditions and is known to cause bone problems such as rickets. Its main source is sunlight but it can also be found in fish, eggs, dairy products and fortified margarines and cereals. Researchers at St Bernard's Hospital, Middlesex looked at vitamin D levels in 17 male psychiatric inpatients. They found that 15 of them had vitamin D deficiency while the other two had borderline deficiency. The vitamin levels of the inpatients could be restored with the use of calcium and ergocalciferol tablets but the authors of the study recommended that all psychiatric inpatients should have adequate exposure to sunlight and healthy diets to ensure that they receive their recommended daily amounts of vitamins and minerals.

Tiangga, Eleanor, Gowda, Asha and Dent, John A. - Vitamin D deficiency in psychiatric in-patients and treatment with daily supplements of calcium and ergocalciferol Psychiatric Bulletin 2008, 32: 390-393

Vitamin D and depression

Depression is very common in older people and can affect up to 13% of this population. Some scientists have suggested that low levels of vitamin D can cause depression. Low levels of vitamin D can also cause an increase in parathyroid hormone levels which are in turn frequently accompanied by an increase in depressive symptoms. In fact people's mood usually returns to normal after treatment of hyperparathyroidism. A Dutch study of 1,282 elderly people between the ages of 65-95 found that levels of vitamin D were 14% lower in 169 people with minor depression and 14% lower in 26 people with major depression. Levels of parathyroid hormone were 5% and 33% higher respectively. Depression severity was significantly associated with decreased vitamin D and increased parathyroid hormone levels.

Hoogendijk, Witte J.G. ... [et al] - Depression is associated with decreased 25-hydroxyvitamin D and increased parathyroid hormone levels in older adults Archives of General Psychiatry May 2008, 65(5), 508-512