Vitamin D and Mood Disorders Among Women: An Integrative Review
Pamela K. Murphy, CNM, MS, IBCLC; Carol L. Wagner, MD

Abstract
This integrative review evaluates research studies that investigated the association between vitamin D and mood disorders affecting women to determine whether further research comparing these variables is warranted. A literature search using CINAHL, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and PubMed databases was conducted to locate peer-reviewed mood disorder research studies that measured serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels. Four of six studies reviewed imparted significant results, with all four showing an association between low 25(OH)D levels and higher incidences of four mood disorders: premenstrual syndrome, seasonal affective disorder, non-specified mood disorder, and major depressive disorder. This review indicates a possible biochemical mechanism occurring between vitamin D and mood disorders affecting women, warranting further studies of these variables using rigorous methodologies.


Introduction
Vitamin D not only is integral to maintaining bone health, but it also plays a role in several other biochemical mechanisms within the human body. Vitamin D receptors are located in bone, skeletal muscle, immune cells, and several body tissues, including the brain, prostate, breast, and colon. The associated cell signaling by vitamin D may account for the mounting evidence that links vitamin D deficiency with an increased risk for a variety of diseases, including cancer, autoimmune disorders, bone disease, cardiovascular disease, and mood disorders. This article reviews the sources and physiology of vitamin D, followed by an overview of the association between vitamin D deficiency and several disease processes, with an emphasis on the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and mood disorders affecting women.

Sources of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is metabolized from dietary sources and from ultraviolet B (UVB) sunlight. However, the majority of women in their childbearing years who reside in the United States have vitamin D insufficiency and/or deficiency that results from lower amounts of UVB exposure because of lifestyle preferences, work schedules, and fear of skin damage and cancer. Protective clothing and sunscreen are often used as barriers to UVB exposure, which prevent the skin's ability to manufacture adequate levels of vitamin D. Darker skin pigmentation also limits the skin's ability to manufacture vitamin D from UVB exposure. Therefore, dietary sources of vitamin D are essential in attaining adequate levels of vitamin D to meet daily requirements.

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2 comments

  1. patudin // April 14, 2010 at 9:09 PM  

    ternyata wanita memang makhluk yang unik dan sangat kuat sekali karakternya. terima kasih ibu.

  2. Lae Togar // April 15, 2010 at 3:18 AM  

    Bahat ma kacangi dijabu hita. Unang be forget mangalangi ma, ai songoni mantap bah!