Condition
Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency means the body has too little of a hormone-like nutrient that supports bones, immune function and mood in nearly every cell. Vitamin D3 has the strongest evidence among supplements, with vitamin K2 and magnesium at a moderate level, and pooled trials found depression symptoms eased with vitamin D. That finding came from five small trials of 679 people, so it says little about bones or immunity.
Sources: PMID 39450108; PMID 39552387
- Supplements studied
- 1
- Graded outcomes
- 1
- Trials
- 1
- People studied
- 21,698
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depression Symptoms Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 5 studies | 679 people | ||
Studies that measured depression symptoms
| ||||||
| Fibromyalgia Symptoms | Improves (the measure goes down) | 4 studies | 137 people | |||
Studies that measured fibromyalgia symptoms | ||||||
Key findings
- Depression SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
The Vitamin D Deficiency Treatment and Prevention protocol
2 primary supplements · 5 supporting supplements
- Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)1,000–5,000 IU daily for maintenance; higher doses for repletion per physician
- Vitamin K2100–200 mcg MK-7 daily
Shop the evidence-backed picks
The supplement graded A or B for Vitamin D Deficiency. Each opens the products we list for that supplement.
- Grade B
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Studies cited
9 studies from PubMed
- Vitamin D protects against depression: Evidence from an umbrella meta-analysis on interventional and observational meta-analyses.
- The effect of vitamin D supplementation on depression: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Effects of cholecalciferol supplementation on depressive symptoms, C-peptide, serotonin, and neurotrophin-3 in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
- Evaluating the effects of vitamin D and vitamin E supplement on premenstrual syndrome: A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial
- Efficacy of vitamin D supplementation on depressive symptoms in older patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Correlation of symptoms with vitamin D deficiency and symptom response to cholecalciferol treatment: a randomized controlled trial
- Effects of Vitamin D Therapy on Quality of Life in Patients with Fibromyalgia
- Vitamin D Supplementation Seems to Improve Fibromyalgia Symptoms: Preliminary Results
- Effects of vitamin D on patients with fibromyalgia syndrome: a randomized placebo-controlled trial