Seasonal depression — clinically referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) — occurs when reduced daylight disrupts the brain’s regulatory systems.

As light exposure drops, several changes occur:

Mood, energy, and motivation fall not because of a lack of effort — but because the brain lacks inputs it depends on.

Light is the first input.
Nutrition is the second.

Neurotransmitters don’t appear out of nowhere.
They are built from raw materials — amino acids, minerals, and vitamins.

In winter, reduced light lowers neurotransmitter activation.
If the raw materials are also low, production drops even further.

This is where simple, protective nutrition matters.

Before breaking nutrients apart, it’s important to see the pattern:

Pumpkin seeds are a rare whole food that naturally contain all three key components involved in mood regulation:

In other words, one small food supports calm, motivation, and emotional stability at the same time.

This is not stimulation — it’s biological insurance.

Vitamin D — The Seasonal Foundation

Vitamin D functions more like a hormone than a vitamin.

Low winter levels are associated with:

Vitamin D receptors are found throughout the brain, especially in regions involved in mood regulation.

Why it matters in winter:
Sunlight is the primary source — and it drops first.

Supporting vitamin D helps stabilize mood signaling when light exposure is limited.