Vitamin D Can Help Balance Emotions & Promote A Healthy Mood*

When external stressors get the best of us, the idea of emotional balance can feel like a far-off fantasy. In these mentally trying moments, your nervous system deserves some love and care to help you rejuvenate your emotional health and properly support your mental well-being. Luckily, there's a well-known nutrient that can help: vitamin D. 

Certain health benefits from the sunshine vitamin have been well known for years—e.g., musculoskeletal support and immune function—and researchers have more recently found vitamin D receptors and metabolites in the brain1, suggesting vitamin D also plays an important role in regulating cognitive function and emotional health.* 

The sad reality is that 29% U.S. adults are clinically deficient3 in vitamin D, and 42% are insufficient3 in the fat-soluble vitamin. The worst part? The clinical definition of vitamin D "sufficiency" is serum levels above 30 ng/ml, but health experts agree that truly optimal levels are above 50 ng/ml. Translation: That 42% insufficiency estimate is likely quite low, with many more Americans failing when it comes to their daily D status.

While the exact and various mechanisms in which vitamin D regulates emotional health are still being explored, researchers have discovered the essential vitamin's role in gut health and neurotransmitter synthesis plays an important part.* 

Research indicates that vitamin D helps promote gut lining integrity and bolster microbiome diversity—both of which contribute to a stronger gut-brain connection and provide overall support for the central nervous system.* Translation? Sufficient vitamin D status supports a healthy gut, which in turn, promotes a better and more balanced mood.* 

In a 2021 scientific review4, researchers found that vitamin D also helps regulate serotonin and melatonin—two hormones highly responsible for mood regulation and sleep health.* In this regard, vitamin D has a direct impact on mood by critically supporting the synthesis of serotonin (aka the "happy hormone") in the brain.* 

Because serotonin is a precursor for melatonin, the fat-soluble vitamin D also indirectly promotes calmness, relaxation, and one's ability to wind down at the end of the day.* Whether you're looking to support a healthy mood by bolstering your gut health, serotonin production, or sleep hygiene, evidence suggests vitamin D is a key piece of the puzzle.*

This study5 called vitamin D supplementation a "simple and cost-effective solution for many" with mood concerns, and we and mindbodygreen concur—if you're looking to promote a healthy mood, a high-quality vitamin D3 supplement is a great place to start.*