You can’t really claim this without head to head trials comparing antidepressants with vitamin supplementation. There are too many variables that could differ between studies for it to be meaningful. The author also neglected to mention that the largest trial to date (VITAL-DEP) showed no difference over 5.3 years in depression with 2000 IU/day vitamin D supppementation. So while there may be something to this, more research is definitely needed.

I will put in a plug for iron deficiency as a contributor to depression though, which has much stronger evidence behind it. The medical community is just starting to come to grips with just how common it is, particularly in younger women.

https://ashpublications.org/hematology/article/2023/1/617/506479/Sex-lies-and-iron-deficiency-a-call-to-change

Don’t take 5000 IU a day of vitamin D without talking to your doctor first. That dosage will be fine for most but can seriously mess up some people.

I’m going to play a bit of an uncle here:

• Vitamin D is mostly made by our skin in contact with sunlight (there are also food sources).
• If you are depressed by another cause than vitamin D deficit, you might prefer being inside, and therefore you lack that sweet sunlight, and now you’ve got vitamin D deficit. (With often funky diets or complete absence of them)
• Depression is a symptom, and sometimes is cyclical as it is affected by a hundred things, including biochemistry (hello Vitamin D).

Personal, uneducated note: When I struggle with depression, if I can get 1% better, I could get better enough to get help, I would try it. Just remember that if you have depression, seek professional help, as they might help you find the root cause (or get near it), rather than just buying supplements, attempting to treat the symptoms.

Vitamin D, Omega 3 for anti depression and antideficiency.

Riboflavin for energy (and if you want very yellow glow in the dark pee)

Bromelain and papain for floaters

L.Reuteri for gut health.