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Annual high-dose vitamin D3 and mental well-being: Randomised controlled trial
Sanders, Kerrie Stuart, Amanda Williamson, Elizabeth Jacka, Felice Dodd, Seetal Nicholson, Geoff Berk, Michael
Sanders, Kerrie
Stuart, Amanda
Williamson, Elizabeth
Jacka, Felice
Dodd, Seetal
Nicholson, Geoff
Berk, Michael
Abstract
Background: Epidemiological evidence supports a relationship between vitamin D and mental well-being, although evidence from large-scale placebo-controlled intervention trials is lacking. Aims: To examine if vitamin D supplementation has a beneficial effect on mood in community-dwelling older women; if a single annual large dose of vitamin D has a role in the prevention of depressive symptoms; and if there is an association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and mental health. Method: A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of women aged 70 or older (the Vital D Study: ISRCTN83409867 and ACTR12605000658617). Participants were randomly assigned to receive 500 000 IU vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) orally or placebo every autumn/winter for 3–5 consecutive years. The tools utilised at various time points were the General Health Questionnaire, the 12-item Short Form Health Survey, the Patient Global Impression–Improvement scale and the WHO Well-Being Index. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured in a subset of 102 participants. Results: In this non-clinical population, no significant differences between the vitamin D and placebo groups were detected in any of the measured outcomes of mental health. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in the vitamin D group were 41% higher than the placebo group 12 months following their annual dose. Despite this difference, scores from the questionnaires did not differ. Furthermore, there was no interaction between those on antidepressant/anxiety medication at baseline and the treatment groups. Conclusions: The lack of improvement in indices of mental well-being in the vitamin D group does not support the hypothesis that an annual high dose of vitamin D3 is a practical intervention to prevent depressive symptoms in older community-dwelling women.
Keywords
Date
2011
Type
Journal article
Journal
British Journal of Psychiatry
Book
Volume
198
Issue
5
Page Range
357-364
Article Number
ACU Department
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Open Access Status
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Controlled