Vitamin D deficiency raises risk of schizophrenia diagnosis

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-07/tes-vdd071814.php

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 22-Jul-2014
Contact: Jenni Glenn Gingery
The Endocrine Society
Vitamin D deficiency raises risk of schizophrenia diagnosis

Studies find people with schizophrenia are more likely to have low levels of vitamin D

Washington, DC -- Vitamin D-deficient individuals are twice as likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia as people who have sufficient levels of the vitamin, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and is needed for bone and muscle health. The skin naturally produces this vitamin after exposure to sunlight. People also obtain smaller amounts of the vitamin through foods, such as milk fortified with vitamin D. More than 1 billion people worldwide are estimated to have deficient levels of vitamin D due to limited sunshine exposure.

Schizophrenia is a mental illness with symptoms that can include delusions and hallucinations. Since schizophrenia is more prevalent in high latitudes and cold climates, researchers have theorized vitamin D may be connected to the disorder.

•••••