November/December 2003
HEALTH BYTES

B-vitamin problems may cause depression

      Some people with depression might have problems metabolizing folate, a type of B vitamin, suggesting that supplements may help prevent depression. In a recent study of 5,948 people between the ages of 46 and 49, researchers found that people with high levels of an amino acid called homocysteine were almost twice as likely to be depressed. Homocysteine is a normal byproduct of metabolism, and folate helps break down homocysteine-so elevated levels may signal either a lack of folate or abnormal folate metabolism, researchers said. Earlier studies suggested that folic acid-the form of folate found in supplements-enhances the effects of antidepressants, and the current study suggests that supplemental folic acid may help ward off depression.    

 
Archives of General Psychiatry, 2003