Skip to content
Deals

Vitamin D and mood: grade C

Limited evidence. Direction: No effect.

C Limited

Educational guidance, not medical advice

Why this grade

Rubric condition met: The rubric not met: VITAL-DEP (18,353 adults aged 50 or older) used study product donated by Pharmavite LLC, so only one confirmed-independent large null RCT remains (D-Health, NHMRC-funded, PHQ-9 in 20,487 Australians aged 60-84), and meta-analyses in mixed populations point the other way: C with direction none

In VITAL-DEP, 2,000 IU a day for a median 5.3 years (study product donated by Pharmavite LLC) did not change mood scores (PHQ-8 mean difference 0.01 points) or the risk of depression compared with placebo in adults aged 50 or older without clinically relevant symptoms. In D-Health (NHMRC-funded), monthly vitamin D3 did not change PHQ-9 scores (mean difference 0.02) in Australians aged 60-84. Meta-analyses that pooled clinical populations and short trials found an effect on depressive-symptom scores; one rated the certainty very low with high heterogeneity, and in the other, effects in trials longer than 24 weeks were not significant. The large null trials enrolled older adults; younger healthy adults were not studied at this scale.

How we grade evidence

Studies this grade rests on

EffectMixedNo effectSize shows participants (n)202020252030Meta-analysisRCTMikola 2023, 2023: meta-analysis, n = 53,235, result not recordedGhaemi 2024, 2024: meta-analysis, n = 24,189, result not recordedRahman 2023, 2023: RCT, n = 21,315, result not recordedOkereke 2020, 2020: RCT, n = 18,353, result not recorded
each study this grade rests on, by publication year and design. Solid: effect versus the comparator; half-filled: mixed; hollow: no effect; dashed: result not recorded yet. Larger marks had more participants.
Show the numbers
StudyYearDesignParticipantsResult
Okereke 20202020RCT18353result not recorded
Mikola 20232023meta-analysis53235result not recorded
Rahman 20232023RCT21315result not recorded
Ghaemi 20242024meta-analysis24189result not recorded

The effect of vitamin D supplementation on depression: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Ghaemi S, Zeraattalab-Motlagh S, Jayedi A. The effect of vitamin D supplementation on depression: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Psychol Med, 2024. PMID 39552387

Result not recorded
Design
Systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of 31 RCTs
Sample
n = 24,189
Population
Adults with and without depression
Funding
not stated in the PubMed or Crossref record; full text not read

The effect of vitamin D supplementation on depressive symptoms in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Mikola T, Marx W, Lane MM. The effect of vitamin D supplementation on depressive symptoms in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2023. PMID 35816192

Result not recorded
Design
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 41 placebo-controlled RCTs (GRADE very low certainty)
Sample
n = 53,235
Population
Adults from general and clinical populations, including people with systemic diseases
Funding
Finnish Medical Foundation; Juho Vainio Foundation (stated in abstract)

Effect of vitamin D supplementation on depression in older Australian adults.

Rahman ST, Waterhouse M, Romero BD. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on depression in older Australian adults Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, 2023. PMID 36462182

Result not recorded
Design
Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (D-Health), monthly dosing, 5 years
Sample
n = 21,315
Population
Australians aged 60-84 years
Funding
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) project grants GNT1046681 and GNT1120682 (full text, PMC10108111, read 2026-11-11)

Effect of Long-term Vitamin D3 Supplementation vs Placebo on Risk of Depression or Clinically Relevant Depressive Symptoms and on Change in Mood Scores: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Okereke OI, Reynolds CF 3rd, Mischoulon D. Effect of Long-term Vitamin D3 Supplementation vs Placebo on Risk of Depression or Clinically Relevant Depressive Symptoms and on Change in Mood Scores: A Randomized Clinical Trial JAMA, 2020. PMID 32749491

Result not recorded
Design
Randomized, placebo-controlled 2x2 factorial trial (VITAL-DEP ancillary study), median 5.3 years
Sample
n = 18,353
Population
US adults aged 50 or older without clinically relevant depressive symptoms at baseline
Funding
US National Institute of Mental Health grant R01 MH091448 and VITAL NIH grants; Pharmavite LLC donated the vitamin D3 study agents, matching placebos and packaging (full text, PMC7403921, read 2026-11-11)

Search and history

Search (): vitamin d[ti] AND (depression[tiab] OR mood[tiab] OR depressive[tiab]) AND (meta-analysis[pt] OR systematic review[pt]) AND randomized[tiab]

  • Graded C (proposed): Proposed in the monograph draft
  • C to C (approved): Editor sign-off November 13, 2026: grade matches the editor-approved final page