Studies

Explore research connecting ingredients and health goals.

587 ingredient–goal connections

GoalReported findings
SupportiveMixedNo effectAdverseUnclassified

Mood SupportandVitamin D

163published studies

Supportive

Low vitamin D levels are often associated with depressive symptoms, including in studies that follow people over time. However, these associations do not establish that low vitamin D causes depression or that supplements will improve mood. Broader health and lifestyle differences can also influence the relationship.

Supplementation trials and reviews give mixed results. Some pooled analyses find modest symptom improvement, with favorable findings in selected groups with depression or pregnancy-related symptoms. Other reviews and placebo-controlled trials find no clear benefit, including research in older adults, healthy women and people starting with low vitamin D levels. Trials have also found improvements in anxiety without improvements in depression, showing that mood-related outcomes are not interchangeable.

The role of initial vitamin D status remains unresolved: deficiency does not consistently predict benefit, and raising blood levels is not itself evidence of better mood. The evidence supports a possible role in selected circumstances, but does not establish a dependable general mood boost or depression-prevention effect.

163 linked studies · 29 sampled for detail · Sep 27, 2026

Study types

  • Randomized trial43
  • Cross-sectional study32
  • Cohort study27
  • Meta-analysis18
  • Narrative review17
  • Systematic review16
  • Observational study6
  • Single-arm trial2
  • Non-randomized trial1
  • Protocol1

Published by year

  • 2Earlier
  • 22010
  • 22011
  • 22012
  • 32013
  • 52014
  • 52015
  • 42016
  • 42017
  • 82018
  • 122019
  • 112020
  • 152021
  • 182022
  • 172023
  • 162024
  • 92025
  • 282026

Findings over time

Numbers above bars show study counts. Earlier groups years before 2010.

202628 studies

  • Supportive18
  • Mixed6
  • No effect3
  • Adverse1
  • Unclassified0

Population over time

Reported participants by publication year. Select a year to see the total and reporting coverage.

— Participant count not reported. Earlier groups years before 2010.

2026130,456 reported participants

Counts reported by 22 of 28 studies. 6 without a reported count.

Totals sum reported counts across studies and reviews; participants may overlap between sources.

Explore this goal

Showing 5 top-ranked studies for Vitamin D and Mood Support.

Top studies

Vitamin D · Mood SupportHighest ranked first
  1. Meta-analysis of the effect of vitamin D on depression.
    2025Meta-analysis20 studies reviewed

    Frontiers in psychiatry

    Finding The random-effects meta-analysis found significantly lower depressive symptom scores with vitamin D than controls, with SMD -0.36 (95% CI -0.52 to -0.20; P < 0.00001).

    SupportiveView source for Meta-analysis of the effect of vitamin D on depression. (opens in a new tab)
  2. A randomized controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation on perinatal depression: in Iranian pregnant mothers.
    2017Randomized trial169 participants

    BMC pregnancy and childbirth

    Finding Baseline vitamin D concentration was not significantly correlated with depression score.

    SupportiveView source for A randomized controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation on perinatal depression: in Iranian pregnant mothers. (opens in a new tab)
  3. Prospective associations between vitamin D and depression in middle-aged adults: findings from the UK Biobank cohort.
    2022Cohort study139,128 participants

    Psychological medicine

    Finding Among participants without baseline depression, vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency were associated with higher odds of new-onset depression after covariate adjustment.

    SupportiveView source for Prospective associations between vitamin D and depression in middle-aged adults: findings from the UK Biobank cohort. (opens in a new tab)
  4. Association Between Low Vitamin D Levels and Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
    2026Meta-analysis49,931 participants15 studies reviewed

    Cureus

    Finding Across eligible studies, vitamin D deficiency was associated with higher odds of depression (pooled OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.36–1.56), with no detected between-study heterogeneity.

    SupportiveView source for Association Between Low Vitamin D Levels and Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (opens in a new tab)
  5. Vitamin D Alleviates Anxiety and Depression in Elderly People with Prediabetes: A Randomized Controlled Study.
    2023Randomized trial90 participants

    Metabolites

    Finding Trait-anxiety scores were lower with vitamin D supplementation than control at both 6 and 12 months.

    SupportiveView source for Vitamin D Alleviates Anxiety and Depression in Elderly People with Prediabetes: A Randomized Controlled Study. (opens in a new tab)

Counts reflect published studies in our database, not the strength of a benefit. A study may appear in more than one connection.