Keep a food journal and log what you eat and drink every day. This is a good point of reference to see how your diet may be impacting your happiness. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can lead to periods of low mood and depression.

Supplements are a great way to boost any micronutrient shortfalls. Micronutrients are chemical elements or substances, like calcium and vitamin C, that are essential in trace amounts to the growth and health of a living organism.

A vitamin D deficiency is quite common, and is also directly linked to Seasonal Affective Disorder, a form of depression that people experience during winter months when they have less exposure to the sun. Calcium is linked to bone health and is an essential mineral that works in conjunction with serotonin to reduce stress, anxiety, and PMS symptoms.

Calcium deficiency symptoms include overall fatigue and sluggishness, irritability, and anxiety. Omega-3 Fatty Acids are important for maintaining healthy brain function.

They also may reduce the risk of depression. B Vitamins relieve stress. Additionally, B1 thiamine , B2 riboflavin , B3 niacin , B6 pyridoxine , B7 biotin , B9 Folate, and B12 cyanocobalamin support brain function, stabilize your mood, manage stress, and increase dopamine.

Folate, the natural version of folic acid, is especially beneficial for reducing depression. Zinc assists with digestion and our immune system and helps our concentration and memory.

Zinc deficiencies may increase the risk of mood disorders and ADHD. Magnesium is another essential mineral. It boosts mood and balances hormones. If you are magnesium deficient, you may experience higher levels of anxiety. Magnesium is often used to treat depression.

Selenium is essential for brain health and supports the thyroid function. This mineral can help to elevate mood and decrease anxiety by raising neurotransmitter levels. Selenium found in fish increases the effects of omega-3 fatty acids. Amino Acids are an essential nutrient and are the building blocks of protein.

Tryptophan, lysine, and tyrosine are amino acids that increase hormone and neurotransmitter levels associated with mood and stress. Amino acid deficiencies increase the risk of mood disorders.

Iodine is a mineral necessary for thyroid and brain function. Fiber is important for gut health as it passes through the intestines, removing toxins and waste. The modern American diet does not contain enough fiber as processed grains have the fiber stripped away. To help regulate and balance our emotions, mood, hormones, and neurotransmitters, and for overall optimal health, it is important to eat a whole food diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

This includes consuming a variety of meat and poultry, fish and shellfish, nuts and seeds, legumes, and always plenty of fruits and vegetables. A variety of fruits are also good sources of calcium including oranges and strawberries.

An adult needs around mg of calcium each day. I include dark leafy greens in my diet every day, either in green smoothies in the morning, salad at lunch, or cooked greens with dinner or all three! Flax oil has a sweet, nutty taste and is the perfect compliment to dark leafy greens.

Sauteing dark green leafy vegetables in olive oil will also provide the oil needed to get the calcium benefit as well as other fat soluble nutrients like vitamins A, E, and K.

Calcium is a key player in both depression relief and stress reduction, working closely with magnesium, vitamin D, potassium and other nutrients to maximize its benefits.

Foods that are high in calcium tend to also be good sources of potassium, magnesium, and so forth, because all of these nutrients work together. The best way to ensure consuming adequate amounts of calcium, along with the other nutrients calcium needs to do its job properly, is to eat a wide variety of whole, healthy foods including dairy products, almonds, and dark green leafy vegetables.

I really enjoyed the information I received from this article you published. Thank you. Maybe drinking more milk and taking a calcium supplement is the answer for MY depressive symptoms instead of antidepressants. Going to try it and see. It is so very true about needing calcium I went into Christ hospital for depression once and they treated me with a thousand mg of calcium and I started to feel better mood wise….

hi i am experiencing the same with taking vitamin d…. i have low corrected calcium… is it ok to take both together? Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Food-Mood Connection Anti-Depressant Anti-Anxiety Mental Health Recipes. Home Angela Dailey, LCSW. BMJ Open. PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar. Harrison PJ, Geddes JR, Tunbridge EM. The emerging neurobiology of bipolar disorder.

Trends Neurosci. Harrison PJ, Tunbridge EM, Dolphin AC, Hall J. Voltage-gated calcium channel blockers for psychiatric disorders: genomic reappraisal. Br J Psychiatry. Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar. Warsh JJ, Andreopoulos S, Li PP. Role of intracellular calcium signaling in the pathophysiology and pharmacotherapy of bipolar disorder: current status.

Clin Neurosci Res. Quiroz JA, Gray NA, Kato T, Manji HK. Mitochondrially mediated plasticity in the pathophysiology and treatment of bipolar disorder. Berridge MJ. Calcium signalling and psychiatric disease: bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Cell Tissue Res. Tan CH, Javors MA, Seleshi E, Lowrimore PA, Bowden CL. Effects of lithium on platelet ionic intracellular calcium concentration in patients with bipolar manic-depressive disorder and healthy controls.

Life Sci. Dubovsky SL, Lee C, Christiano J, Murphy J. Lithium lowers platelet intracellular ion concentration in bipolar patients. Elevated platelet intracellular calcium concentration in bipolar depression. Dubovsky SL, Murphy J, Thomas M, Rademacher J.

Abnormal intracellular calcium ion concentration in platelets and lymphocytes of bipolar patients. Am J Psychiatry. Kusumi I, Koyama T, Yamashita I. Thrombin-induced platelet calcium mobilization is enhanced in bipolar disorders. Berk M, Bodemer W, van Oudenhove T, Butkow N.

Dopamine increases platelet intracellular calcium in bipolar affective disorder and controls. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. Bothwell RA, Eccleston D, Marshall E. Platelet intracellular calcium in patients with recurrent affective disorders. Dubovsky SL, Thomas M, Hijazi A, Murphy J.

Intracellular calcium signalling in peripheral cells of patients with bipolar affective disorder. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci.

Eckert A, Gann H, Riemann D, Aldenhoff J, Muller WE. Platelet and lymphocyte free intracellular calcium in affective disorders.

Serotonin-induced platelet intracellular calcium mobilization in depressed patients. Berk M, Bodemer W, Van Oudenhove T, Butkow N. The platelet intracellular calcium response to serotonin is augmented in bipolar manic and depressed patients.

Hum Psychopharmacol. Google Scholar. Okamoto Y, Kagaya A, Shinno H, Motohashi N, Yamawaki S. Serotonin-induced platelet calcium mobilization is enhanced in mania. Tan CH, Lee HS, Kua EH, Peh LH. Resting and thrombin-stimulated cytosolic calcium in platelets of patients with alcoholic withdrawal, bipolar manic disorder and chronic schizophrenia.

Berk M, Kirchmann NH, Butkow N. Clin Neuropharmacol. Yamawaki S, Kagaya A, Okamoto Y, Shimizu M, Nishida A, Uchitomi Y. Enhanced calcium response to serotonin in platelets from patients with affective disorders. J Psychiatry Neurosci. Hough C, Lu SJ, Davis CL, Chuang DM, Post RM.

Elevated basal and thapsigargin-stimulated intracellular calcium of platelets and lymphocytes from bipolar affective disorder patients measured by a fluorometric microassay. Suzuki K, Kusumi I, Sasaki Y, Koyama T. Serotonin-induced platelet intracellular calcium mobilization in various psychiatric disorders: is it specific to bipolar disorder?

El Khoury A, Petterson U, Kallner G, Aberg-Wistedt A, Stain-Malmgren R. Calcium homeostasis in long-term lithium-treated women with bipolar affective disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry.

Kato T, Ishiwata M, Mori K, Washizuka S, Tajima O, Akiyama T, et al. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. Hahn CG, Gomez G, Restrepo D, Friedman E, Josiassen R, Pribitkin EA, et al.

Aberrant intracellular calcium signaling in olfactory neurons from patients with bipolar disorder. PubMed Google Scholar. Akimoto T, Kusumi I, Suzuki K, Koyama T. Perova T, Wasserman MJ, Li PP, Warsh JJ. Hyperactive intracellular calcium dynamics in B lymphoblasts from patients with bipolar I disorder.

Uemura T, Green M, Corson TW, Perova T, Li PP, Warsh JJ. Bcl-2 SNP rs associates with disrupted intracellular calcium homeostasis in bipolar I disorder. Bipolar Disord. Solis-Chagoyan H, Calixto E, Figueroa A, Montano LM, Berlanga C, Rodriguez-Verdugo MS, et al.

Microtubule organization and L-type voltage-activated calcium current in olfactory neuronal cells obtained from patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Schizophr Res.

Chen HM, DeLong CJ, Bame M, Rajapakse I, Herron TJ, McInnis MG, et al. Transcripts involved in calcium signaling and telencephalic neuronal fate are altered in induced pluripotent stem cells from bipolar disorder patients.

Transl Psychiatry. Dubovsky SL, Daurignac E, Leonard KE. Increased platelet intracellular calcium ion concentration is specific to bipolar disorder. Dubovsky SL, Daurignac E, Leonard KE, Serotte JC. Levetiracetam, calcium antagonism, and bipolar disorder. J Clin Psychopharmacol.

Mertens J, Wang QW, Kim Y, Yu DX, Pham S, Yang B, et al. Differential responses to lithium in hyperexcitable neurons from patients with bipolar disorder.

Benitez-King G, Valdes-Tovar M, Trueta C, Galvan-Arrieta T, Argueta J, Alarcon S, et al. The microtubular cytoskeleton of olfactory neurons derived from patients with schizophrenia or with bipolar disorder: implications for biomarker characterization, neuronal physiology and pharmacological screening.

Mol Cell Neurosci. Tobe BTD, Crain AM, Winquist AM, Calabrese B, Makihara H, Zhao WN, et al. Probing the lithium-response pathway in hiPSCs implicates the phosphoregulatory set-point for a cytoskeletal modulator in bipolar pathogenesis.

Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. Viswanath B, Jose SP, Squassina A, Thirthalli J, Purushottam M, Mukherjee O, et al. Cellular models to study bipolar disorder: a systematic review.

Bruschi G, Bruschi ME, Caroppo M, Orlandini G, Spaggiari M, Cavatorta A. Clin Sci. The effects of age on platelet intracellular free calcium concentration in normotensives and hypertensives.

J Hypertension. Williams PD, Puddey IB, Martin NG, Beilin LJ. Platelet cytosolic free calcium-concentration, total plasma-concentration and blood-pressure in normal twins. A genetic analysis. Gardner JP, Cho JH, Skurnick JH, Awad G, Gutkin M, Byrd LH, et al. Blood pressure inversely correlates with thrombin-evoked calcium rise in platelets.

Correll CU, Solmi M, Veronese N, Bortolato B, Rosson S, Santonasto P, et al. Prevalence, incidence and mortality from cardiovascular disease in patients with pooled and specific severe mental illness: a large-scale meta-analysis of 3,, patients and ,, controls.

World Psychiatry. Goldstein BI. Bipolar disorder and the vascular system: mechanisms and new prevention opportunities. Can J Cardiol. Wasserman MJ, Corson TW, Sibony D, Cooke RG, Parikh SV, Pennefather PS, et al. Chronic lithium treatment attenuates intracellular calcium mobilization.

Perova T, Kwan M, Li PP, Warsh JJ. Kusumi I, Suzuki K, Sasaki Y, Kameda K, Koyama T. Treatment response in depressed patients with enhanced Ca mobilization stimulated by serotonin. Missaien L, Robberecht W, Van Den Bosch L, Callewaert G, Parys JB, Wuytack F, et al.

Cell Calcium. Brini M, Carafoli E. Calcium pumps in health and disease. Physiol Rev. Santulli G, Nakashima R, Yuan Q, Marks AR. Intracellular calcium release channels: an update. J Physiol. Mekahli D, Bulltynck G, Parys JB, De Smedt H, Missiaen L. Endoplasmic-reticulum calcium depletion and disease.

Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. Emamghoreishi M, Li PP, Schlichter L, Parikh SV, Cooke R, Warsh JJ. Associated disturbances in calcium homeostasis and G protein-mediated cAMP signaling in bipolar I disorder.

Roedding AS, Gao AF, Au-Yeung W, Scarcelli T, Li PP, Warsh JJ. Effect of oxidative stress on TRPM2 and TRPC3 channels in B lymphoblast cells in bipolar disorder. Hayashi A, Le Gal K, Sodersten K, Vizlin-Hodzic D, Agren H, Funa K.

Calcium-dependent intracellular signal pathways in primary cultured adipocytes and ANK3 gene variation in patients with bipolar disorder and healthy controls. Paredes RM, Etzler J, Watts LT, Zheng W, Lechleiter JD.

Chemical calcium indicators. Davenport B, Li Y, Heizer JW, Schmitz C, Perraud A-L. Signature channels of excitability no more: L-type channels in immune cells. Front Immunol.

Kotturi MF, Jefferies WA. Molecular characterization of L-type calcium channel splice variants expressed in human T lymphocytes. Mol Immunol. Badou A, Jha MK, Matza D, Flavell RA. Emerging roles of L-type voltage-gated and other calcium channels in T lymphocytes.

Sharma P, Ping L. Calcium ion influx in microglial cells: physiological and therapeutic significance.

Additionally, B1 thiamine , B2 riboflavin , B3 niacin , B6 pyridoxine , B7 biotin , B9 Folate, and B12 cyanocobalamin support brain function, stabilize your mood, manage stress, and increase dopamine.

Folate, the natural version of folic acid, is especially beneficial for reducing depression. Zinc assists with digestion and our immune system and helps our concentration and memory. Zinc deficiencies may increase the risk of mood disorders and ADHD. Magnesium is another essential mineral.

It boosts mood and balances hormones. If you are magnesium deficient, you may experience higher levels of anxiety. Magnesium is often used to treat depression. Selenium is essential for brain health and supports the thyroid function.

This mineral can help to elevate mood and decrease anxiety by raising neurotransmitter levels. Selenium found in fish increases the effects of omega-3 fatty acids. Amino Acids are an essential nutrient and are the building blocks of protein. Tryptophan, lysine, and tyrosine are amino acids that increase hormone and neurotransmitter levels associated with mood and stress.

Amino acid deficiencies increase the risk of mood disorders. Iodine is a mineral necessary for thyroid and brain function.

Fiber is important for gut health as it passes through the intestines, removing toxins and waste. The modern American diet does not contain enough fiber as processed grains have the fiber stripped away. To help regulate and balance our emotions, mood, hormones, and neurotransmitters, and for overall optimal health, it is important to eat a whole food diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

This includes consuming a variety of meat and poultry, fish and shellfish, nuts and seeds, legumes, and always plenty of fruits and vegetables. Adding supplements is also beneficial.

Explore mend products for mood-boosting nutrients in every formula. You may be familiar with the anti-inflammatory diet, where the foods we consume play a role in reducing chronic inflammation in our bodies, but may be curious about which foods and nutrients, in particular, can help fight inflammation.

In our pursuit of wellness, we often find ourselves caught in the ebb and flow of health trends. From the unconventional to the time-honored, these trends often claim to hold the key to a healthier life.

We are thrilled to announce a partnership between Mend and Dr. Christopher Palmer of Signature Orthopedics. Design by Lustre. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. See info. Cart 0. This work may not be copied, distributed, displayed, published, reproduced, transmitted, modified, posted, sold, licensed, or used for commercial purposes.

Ermal Bojdani, MD; Tina Zhang, BS; Syona Shetty, BS; and Dil Tahera, MD. Hypercalcemia and Psychosis:. The objective o f t his article is to help clinicians make an accurate diagnosis by considering hypercalcemia as a potential cause of psychosis.

A patient case is presented, along with a review o f t he literature dissecting the association between calcium and psychiatric symptoms. Clinical implications and suggestions for management o f h ypercalcemia and psychosis in the setting of primary hyperparathyroidism are provided.

Prim Care Companion CNS Disord ;20 6 nr To cite: Bojdani E, Zhang T, Shetty S, et al. Hypercalcemia and psychosis: case report, review of the literature, and management considerations.

Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. a Harvard South Shore Psychiatry Residency Training Program, Brockton, Massachusetts. b VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton, Massachusetts.

c Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. d Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts. Bojdani2 va. H ypercalcemia is a relatively common clinical entity, and risk factors for its development include sporadic and inherited conditions, renal failure, and various medications Table 1.

Clinical evaluation and laboratory studies help to diagnose the cause of hypercalcemia and to rule out worrisome, untreated comorbidity. In addition to measuring serum calcium with correction for albumin if applicable , measurement of intact parathyroid hormone PTH helps to distinguish PTH-mediated from non—PTH-mediated causes of hypercalcemia.

Hypercalcemia has been associated with psychiatric symptoms, and the psychopathology usually emerges after a prolonged period of subclinical hypercalcemia. However, calcium is known to play a role in the metabolism of monoamines in the central nervous system by modulating dopaminergic and cholinergic metabolism and neurotransmission along synaptic junctions, causing changes in mood and cognition.

His primary hyperparathyroidism was believed to be a potential leading cause of his neuropsychiatric symptoms. A PubMed search was conducted using the search terms calcium and psychosis. The search resulted in over 40 articles, which were reviewed for relevance. Articles in languages other than English and those that lacked an abstract or were published before were excluded from the review.

Sixteen articles were fully examined and incorporated in the review. Mr A is a year-old married black man who presented for evaluation of paranoia. He grew up in Nigeria and after completing college immigrated to the United States, where he struggled to adjust as an immigrant.

He met his wife while in the Army. Due to emerging emotional distress, he was placed under close supervision during his Army tenure. Upon return from combat service, he experienced significant symptoms of anxiety, anger, hypervigilance, paranoia that people including coworkers were following him when he traveled, and delusions.

Occasional olfactory and visual hallucinations of seeing shapes or shadows were also reported. These symptoms continued, occurring intermittently over 2 years, worsening in the recent 3 months, and affecting his work performance, which led to suspension.

The symptoms also caused interpersonal conflict with his wife and physical aggression toward nonliving objects. He once threatened with a suicidal ideation in the heat of an argument, but did not attempt suicide.

He suffered from insomnia, and paranoia caused him to place locks on the windows and cameras in his home. These symptoms led to involuntary psychiatric hospitalization, and he was started on olanzapine for psychosis and agitation, trazodone as needed for insomnia, and hydroxyzine as needed for anxiety.

He did not wish to continue these medications at discharge, believing he did not need them. Psychotherapy with a psychologist was of unclear benefit, partially due to his variable record of attendance. He continued to leave various jobs, quitting due to concern that others were out to get him or being fired for poor performance and emotional disturbance.

He eventually again became paranoid about people following him and presented to the emergency department after a day episode of mania and psychosis. The episode started with an argument with his wife, and he subsequently went missing for 2 days.

He reported being in Amsterdam on his way to Nigeria, but the flight would not accept him for travel. On day 6, he returned to his wife in the United States and paranoia continued.

After a car accident with no injury, he rented another car and made his way to New York, at which time he asked his wife to pick them up. His wife filed a missing persons report. From New York he drove to Georgia and from there texted family, reporting being scared that people were following him and seeking help.

He eventually had a second car accident with no injury, and he was picked up by Georgia police. He returned on day 14 to the airport, where he was picked up by family and brought to the emergency department.

During the interview, he was guarded. He denied illicit substance use, head trauma, or loss of consciousness. Psychiatric review of systems was positive for hypervigilance, triggers of seeing people in uniform, insomnia, anger, and irritability.

He appeared obese, with otherwise unremarkable physical findings, wearing a facial mask due to concern for allergies. He was sleepy but cooperative when awake.

He had a slowed rate, rhythm, volume, and prosody with spontaneous speech, which at times was hard to understand due to his accent. He endorsed a linear and goal-directed thought process. He denied psychotic symptoms, although family reported he was afraid people were out to get him.

His mood was sleepy, and his affect was tired. He was oriented to person and place, only missing the day of the week. He was able to tell about some of his travels but left parts out.

His insight and judgment were deemed severely limited. Some studies suggest that taking a calcium supplement can help reduce these changes in mood. If you suspect you might be calcium deficient, take a personal inventory of your hair, skin, and nails. Oftentimes, people with calcium deficiencies experience dry skin , brittle hair , or weak nails that tend to break easily.

But why does this happen? Calcium is essential for maintaining the integrity and function of the skin's outermost layer, known as the epidermis. This layer acts as a barrier that helps retain moisture and prevents the loss of water from your body. When calcium levels are low, the skin barrier may become compromised, making it more vulnerable to dryness and moisture loss.

Calcium is also involved in regulating the function of sweat and sebaceous oil glands in the skin. Sebaceous glands produce an oil called sebum, which helps keep the skin and hair lubricated and moisturized.

Hypocalcemia can disrupt the normal function of these glands, leading to reduced oil production and contributing to dry skin, hair, and nails. A calcium deficiency can potentially lead to seizures. This is because calcium plays a crucial role in regulating the electrical activity of your nerve cells—called neurons—in the brain.

When calcium levels are too low, your body isn't able to release neurotransmitters as it normally does. This change can increase neuronal excitability, which basically means that there's a disruption in the electrical signals in your brain. As a result of the disruption, you might be at an increased risk of having seizures.

Calcium also plays a vital role in regulating the electrical activity of your heart. Not getting enough calcium can affect your heart's electrolyte balance, which interferes with muscle cell contraction and relaxation. This can lead to irregular electrical impulses and cause heart arrhythmias , or abnormal heart rhythms.

It's important to note that the severity and type of arrhythmia associated with hypocalcemia can vary from person to person. While mild hypocalcemia may not necessarily lead to any changes in your heart rhythm, more severe cases of calcium deficiency can increase the risk of cardiovascular heart-related changes.

In serious cases, hypocalcemia can sometimes contribute to heart failure. It's worth noting that heart failure is a less common symptom of not having enough calcium—but it can still happen if you have severely low levels of calcium in your body.

When calcium levels are insufficient, the heart's ability to contract and pump blood effectively is compromised, potentially leading to heart failure. But there's good news: in cases where hypocalcemia is the primary cause of heart failure, you can reverse the condition by eating more calcium in your diet and taking calcium supplements.

These treatments often restore calcium levels and improve overall heart function. If you or a loved one are experiencing any symptoms of hypocalcemia, contact a healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and treatment.

A complete blood cell CBC count is a routine blood test that can check for a calcium deficiency. Your healthcare provider can identify the underlying cause and recommend appropriate treatment options. If you have conditions or risk factors that increase the likelihood of hypocalcemia, such as renal kidney failure , it's especially important to seek medical attention if you notice any symptoms of low calcium.

Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent the progression of symptoms and the development of complications associated with hypocalcemia. A calcium deficiency happens when you don't have enough calcium in your blood for your body to sustain itself properly.

As a result of low calcium, you may experience symptoms that affect your muscles, nerves, skin, heart, and mental health. That's why recognizing the signs of calcium deficiency and seeking timely medical attention for diagnosis and appropriate treatment is crucial.

To raise calcium levels, make sure you eat food high in calcium such as yogurt, milk, calcium-fortified juices, cheese, sardines, tofu, soybeans, fortified breakfast cereals, spinach, and turnip greens.

Your healthcare provider may also recommend that you take a calcium supplement. When your total calcium test shows lower-than-normal results, it could indicate various underlying factors that can cause calcium deficiency.

These include low blood protein levels, underactive parathyroid glands, inadequate dietary calcium intake, pancreatitis, vitamin D or magnesium deficiencies, or kidney disease.

A lack of calcium can potentially contribute to leg pain. Calcium plays a critical role in muscle function, and when calcium levels are too low, it can lead to muscle cramps.

This is because calcium is essential for muscle contraction and relaxation. Calcium blood test. Kumssa DB, Joy EJ, Ander EL, et al. Dietary calcium and zinc deficiency risks are decreasing but remain prevalent.

Sci Rep. Schafer AL, Shoback DM. Hypocalcemia: Diagnosis and Treatment.