We All Need A Mood Lift These Days — This Essential Vitamin Can Help

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 brain, suggesting vitamin D also plays an important role in regulating cognitive function and emotional health.*

Case in point: A 2021 Clinics systematic review of 15 studies found consistent evidence that vitamin D status and overall mood are inextricably linked. According to researchers, sufficient vitamin D levels promote a healthy mood, while clinical vitamin D deficiency (i.e., below 20 ng/ml) contributes to the risk of suboptimal mental well-being—especially in younger people.*

Vitamin D deficiency & low mood in the U.S.

The sad reality is that 29% U.S. adults are clinically deficient in vitamin D, and 42% are insufficient 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.

With vitamin D insufficiency affecting so many Americans, it's no wonder that mood struggles are so prevalent across the nation! The good news is that something as simple as a daily vitamin D supplement can promote mood support and help you maintain emotional balance.*

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How vitamin D delivers mood support.

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.*

If you aren't already aware of how gut health affects emotional well-being, allow us to introduce you to the gut-brain axis—a two-way communication system between your gastrointestinal tract and brain that affects cognitive function, nervous system regulation, nutrient absorption, and more.

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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 review, 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 an key piece of the puzzle.*

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The takeaway.

A 2010 scientific review 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.*

For a premium D3 supplement that delivers a truly effective dose of D3, plus built-in absorption technology (i.e., an organic trio of flax, olive, and avocado oils that bolster the fat-soluble vitamin's bioavailability), mbg's vitamin D3 potency+ is a fantastic solution for mood support and emotional regulation.*

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