Vitamin D and exercise vs depression

You may hear about seasonal depression this time of year, and some of you may even experience it. While our society is improving access to mental health help, we still have a long way to go, so let’s talk about this condition in particular.

Studies show that lack of sunlight may cause seasonal depression, but is that really the cause? That is a loaded question. This week, I am including two articles that may help some of you with the upcoming winter season.

I’ll start by explaining that there is no confirmed source of seasonal depression, and the condition isn’t fully understood. That said, there is a positive correlation between taking vitamin D and reduced depression symptoms. Many studies show that those who maintain healthy levels of vitamin D report fewer symptoms of depression.

If you are feeling depressed, a good start is to check your vitamin D levels. I do want to be clear that vitamin D does not cure depression, but it does help. That is especially true with conditions like seasonal depression and postpartum depression, which happen on a sporadic rather than permanent basis.

Exercise is also a valuable tool that can lessen seasonal depression. The CDC has released guidelines on different levels of exercise, and several studies have been released demonstrating exercise’s beneficial effect on depression.

In a study done on nearly 1,800 people, people who did a combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise had less risk of developing depression. People who did very intense aerobic and anaerobic exercise had even less risk.

To summarize, exercise and vitamin D are not magic bullets, but they are valuable tools to help you fight seasonal depression. Make sure to get in plenty of outside walks this season.

Important note: Depression can be a very serious health condition with huge risks. If you have severe depression symptoms, please get professional help. Your life could depend on it.

The next article gives you an interesting way that you can make sure that one of your kitchen ingredients has the most vitamin D possible.

Photo by Kristina Tripkovic on Unsplash