BDNF and Anxiety: In addition, vitamin D regulates the release of neurotransmitters and the synthesis of brain-derived neurotrophic factors (44), and it regulates the release of monoamine neurotransmitters such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine via vitamin D receptors in the adrenal cortex (45) as well as preventing their depletion (46), and thus plays a role in mood-, reward-, and anxiety-related behaviors.