Previous studies have noted that vitamin D deficiency increases one’s risk for a number of negative health outcomes. Now, a new study involving mice indicates that vitamin D deficiency also makes it more difficult to cope with stress. In the study, researchers fed mice either a normal diet or a vitamin D-poor diet for ten weeks before exposing them to stressful situations. The research team observed that the vitamin D-deficient mice had a greater vulnerability to stress, suggesting that vitamin D plays a role in the stress response.
Psychoneuralendocrinology, December 2017