First of all apologies for my subpar English.
I’d like to talk about myself for a minute so just to give you a rough frame to what I am going to talk about. I’m a 33 year old male and consider myself a spiritual person. Not the “I believe kind” but more of the scientific type who actually thinks that introversion and taking care for ones own spirit is a very important thing to do.
I’ve been battling with some chronic conditions that have led repeatedly to severe major depressions in the past decade. All of this time I tried to engage in meditation/mindfulness practices and I just found it completely impossible to gain any mindfulness at all. The thoughtrace in my head would never cease. I just could not stop my thoughts from pouring over anything.
As of late I learned that due to one of my chronic conditions being celiacs disease (which went on unrecognized for about possibly 2 decades) I had a severe malnurishment In about all dimensions. This is now thought to be the biggest contributor to my depression and depressive episodes. Then I started to supplement all those things missing, amongst which where b6, b12, magnesium, kalium, tryptophan and last but not least vitamin d ( cause I’ve not been leaving the home for the better half of the last decade) to just name a few.
While most things were just visible in the hemogram I soon noticed that some things really do change. My mood got getter by the day and I started to feel somewhat self-aware of my emotions and my emotional regulation mechanisms. At that point I had just plainly forgotten about meditation and mindfulness. Then rather by accident than choice I stumbled upon mindfulness as a subject again. And what can I say, it works. I can snuff my thoughts any minute completely and just go into a state that feels like I have no motivation than to sensory embrace myself and my surroundings.
Before this has been absolutely impossible to achieve.
Now from reading some sources, mostly studies, I learned that before supplementing I’ve been probably high on dopamine and very low on serotonin. There’s three things that directly activate and power my serotonergic systems right now, which are Vitamin D, Tryptophan and to a smaller amount also Zinc and Magnesium which have been each of it very low for the past years if not decades. So it’s save to say I’m pretty high on serotonin right now.
Skimming through this forum here it appears to me that most people seem to have difficulties in focusing on their mindfulness in the winter months, especially towards winters end in January – February which would naturally be when everybody due to the lack of sunlight is low on vitamin d and therefore also on serotonin.
My theory here is that either Vitamin D directly or an enhanced Serotonin synthesis due to Vitamin D + Tryptophane is an immense booster for your ability to meditate and being mindful.
So there is already some scientific backup for my ideas which are that serotonine is the key neurotransmitter for the feeling of well being and most important of emotional selfregulation. Though I can’t find anything directly relating meditation and mindfulness to serotonin in the way that high serotonin = high meditation performance.
Has anyone else in a similar situation experienced this vast change in mindfulness. Or maybe experienced it the other way around, fallen into a depression an has not been able to meditate/ practice mindfulness?
Are there any studies? Or is anyone of those with mindfulness practice problem in this forum here willing to take his/her vitamin d status and if deficient try to supplement it? Any input on this is greatly appreciated
PS: For me myself I observed the most noticeable effects of Vitamin D and Tryptophane on my well being and selfregulation with Vitamin D around 45 ng/l and a daily dose of 500mg – 1000mg tryptophane.
Yours sincerely