Could Vitamin D Deficiency Increase the Risk of Schizophrenia?

Vitamin D is an essential component for strong bones and muscle strength. However, many may suffer from a vitamin D deficiency, possibly due to reduced exposure to sunlight or a diet low in calcium.

Now, a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism shows that low vitamin D can potentially increase the risk of schizophrenia. Researchers from the University of Medical Sciences in Isfahan, Iran, found that patients with schizophrenia were more likely to have insufficient vitamin D levels than others who did not suffer from the mental health issue.

"This is the first comprehensive meta-analysis to study the relationship between the two conditions," said researcher Ahmad Esmaillzadeh, PhD, of the of the university, in a news release. "When we examined the findings of several observational studies on vitamin D and schizophrenia, we found people with schizophrenia have lower vitamin D levels than healthy people. Vitamin D deficiency is quite common among people with schizophrenia."

For the study, researchers analyzed 19 observational studies that involved 2,804 adult participants who were evaluated for any link between vitamin D and schizophrenia.

Findings revealed that the average difference in vitamin D levels between schizophrenic patients and those with adequate vitamin in their bloodstream was -5.91 ng/ml. Yet those with vitamin D deficiencies were 2.61 times more likely to be schizophrenic than those with sufficient vitamin D levels. In fact, 65 percent of the participants who had schizophrenia also had a vitamin D deficiency.

"There is a growing trend in the nutrition science field to consider vitamin D and its relationship to conditions such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease and depression," Esmaillzadeh concluded. "Our findings support the theory that vitamin D may have a significant impact on psychiatric health."

However, researchers noted that more information is needed to determine connections between vitamin D deficiencies and how they impact mental health, overall.