The Link Between Nutritional Deficiencies and Depression
There are links between some nutritional deficiencies and depression. If you experience symptoms of depression, you can ask your doctor to order blood tests to check for some common nutritional deficiencies. If laboratory tests confirm any deficiencies, your doctor or a registered dietician can recommend an appropriate treatment plan for you.
Nutritional deficiencies are not the only cause of depression, of course, so if you suffer from depression you may need to discuss other treatment options with your doctor as well. Often, a comprehensive approach works best.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 deficiency can cause a decrease in the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, which may lead to depression. Alcoholics frequently suffer from vitamin B6 deficiencies but others can have deficiencies as well. The normal range for B6 is generally considered to be five to 50 although some laboratories use different reference ranges.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 deficiency causes many symptoms, including depression, fatigue and poor concentration. Vitamin B12 is found primarily in animal products like meat, eggs and dairy products so vegetarians may need to take supplements. Deficiencies can occur even in people that eat meat, however. While some health care professionals consider the normal range of B12 to be something like 211-911, research shows that levels of 550 and below can cause symptoms of deficiency.
Vitamin D
The Vitamin D Council reports that there may be a link between vitamin D deficiency and depression, although they cannot say for certain that vitamin D deficiency causes depression. We know that some people experience depression when they do not get enough exposure to sunlight; some people suffer from a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder in which they become depressed during the darker winter months. Lack of exposure to sunlight contributes to vitamin D deficiency so they may be related in that way. The Linus Pauling Institute recommends maintaining levels of vitamin D above 80 for maximum health and well-being.
Iron
Iron deficiency frequently causes fatigue, lethargy and mental slowness, symptoms often associated with depression. While many health care professionals consider serum iron levels of 50-150 to be within the normal range, some people do begin to experience symptoms with iron levels above 50. In addition, some people may experience symptoms with low levels of ferritin (10 or below) even if their serum iron levels are fine.
Fatigue is an early symptom of magnesium deficiency. More advanced deficiency can cause significant personality changes, including but not limited to depression. Magnesium deficiency is relatively rare but may be seen in diabetics, alcoholics and those with malabsorption problems such as people with Celiac disease or those that have had intestinal surgery or gastric bypass surgery. The normal range for magnesium is generally considered to be 1.7 to 2.8 although some laboratories use different reference ranges.
Sources:
Office of Dietary Supplements. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/ . Vitamin B6.
The Natural Medicine Letter. http://www.johndommissemd.com/b12.html . Notes on B12 Deficiency.
Vitamin D Council. http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/depression.shtml . Vitamin D and Depression.
Linus Pauling Institute. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/ . Vitamin D.
Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/iron-deficiency-anemia/DS00323/DSECTION=symptoms . Iron Deficiency Anemia.
Office of Dietary Supplements. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium/ . Magnesium.
Published by Kelly Morris
I am a former social worker and in that capacity, worked with teens and their families to address issues like domestic violence and school violence. I now make my living as a freelance writer. My work has... View profile
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