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Depression is especially reduced by large intermittent doses of vitamin D – meta-analysis – April 2023


Efficacy and acceptability of vitamin D supplements for depressed patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Nutrition 2023 Jan 7;108:111968. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2022.111968 PDFis behind a paywall
Maytinee Srifuengfung 1, Somporn Srifuengfung 2, Chalermsri Pummangura 2, Keerati Pattanaseri 1, Awirut Oon-Arom 3, Manit Srisurapanont 4

Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized the evidence from randomized controlled trials comparing vitamin D and placebo in reducing depressive symptoms and contributing to all-cause dropout rates.

Methods: Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials comparing reduced depression between depressed patients receiving vitamin D and those receiving placebo. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials through January 2022.

Results: Eighteen trials (1980 participants, median age 39 y) were included in the meta-analysis. Vitamin D supplements were significantly superior to placebo in reducing depression (standardized mean difference = -0.49; 95% confidence interval CI, -0.75 to -0.23; I2 = 81%). Depressed adults (standardized mean difference = -0.70; 95% CI, -1.09 to -0.31) responded to vitamin D significantly better than children and adolescents (standardized mean difference = 0.10; 95% CI -0.27 to 0.47).
Vitamin D administered as bolus doses (oral intermittent high doses or intramuscular single high dose) appeared to be more effective than that taken daily by the oral route (P < 0.01).
Patients with more severe depression tended to respond better than those with less severity (P = 0.053). We found no moderating effect of concurrent antidepressant use, presence of major depressive disorder diagnosis, physical comorbidity, sex, duration and doses of vitamin D supplement, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels at baseline, and changes in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in the vitamin D group. Dropout rates were indifferent between the groups (17 trials; risk ratio = 0.84; 95% CI, 0.6-1.16; I2 = 0).

Conclusions: Heterogeneous data suggested that vitamin D supplements are effective and safe for depressed patients.


17 Meta-analyses of Vitamin D and Depression in VitaminDWiki


VitaminDWiki – Depression summary contains

Some recent publications


VitaminDwiki – Better than Daily contains

31 items in BETTER THAN DAILY category

Non-daily (Bolus) is better:

  1. Better compliance for everyone
    • Fewer opportunities to forget.
    • If happen to forget, just take the pill days or weeks later
    • Fewer times to have to take a pill - for those who dislike doing so
  2. Non-daily is better the ~20% who have a poor Vitamin D Receptor
    • A high concentration gradient is one of 14 ways to get past Vitamin D Receptor limitations
    • So, while 80% get no extra benefit from non-daily dosing, 20% will get an extra benefit

VitaminDwiki – Diseases treated by high-dose Vitamin D - many studies