Those who were vitamin D deficient were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia in a recent meta-analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Encompassing 19 different observational studies and 2,804 total participants, the meta-analysis found that 65 percent of schizophrenic participants were vitamin D deficient and there average serum levels were 5.91 ng/ml less than the non-schizophrenic individuals. Overall, people with a deficiency were 2.16 more likely to have schizophrenia.

“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,” said Ahman Esmaiillzadeh, PhD, one of the authors of the study. “Our findings support the theory that vitamin D may have a significant impact on psychiatric health. More research is needed to determine how the growing problem of vitamin D deficiency may be affecting our overall health.” 

Because schizophrenia is more common in areas with high latitude and cold climate, researchers have theorized that the disorder may be linked to vitamin D, according to a press release from the Endocrine Society.

Click here to read the press release.

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