B-Vitamin Problems May Cause Depression in Some

Reuters ^ | 7/5/03 | Alison McCook

[truthandlife]

New findings suggests that some people with depression might have problems metabolizing the B vitamin folate -- supporting the idea that supplements could help ward off the condition, researchers say.

In Yahoo! Health

Overcoming Depression

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Investigators in Norway found that depression occurred more commonly in people who had high levels of the amino acid homocysteine in their blood, and in those who carried a form of a gene that encodes a protein involved in processing folate.

Homocysteine is a normal byproduct of metabolism, and folic acid -- the form of folate found in supplements -- is known to aid in breaking down homocysteine.

"Lack of folate and/or a disturbed folate metabolism ... may partially be the cause of the depression in some people," study author Dr. Ingvar Bjelland of the University of Bergen told Reuters Health.

Previous research has suggested that folic acid supplements may boost the effects of antidepressants, an idea supported by the current study, Bjelland said.

The results, which appear in the Archives of General Psychiatry, "could even support the suggestion that folate may prevent depression," the researcher noted.

Bjelland and colleagues obtained their findings by scanning blood samples from 5,948 people between the ages of 46 and 49, and screening them for depression and anxiety.

The researchers found that people who had relatively high levels of homocysteine in their blood were almost twice as likely to be depressed, relative to people with the lowest blood levels of homocysteine.

According to the report, depression was also linked to a form of the gene for a folate-processing enzyme associated with poorer efficiency in the breakdown of folate.

Anxiety, however, was not related to either homocysteine or the folate-processing enzyme.

Although markers of folate metabolism appeared altered in depression, actual levels of folate in the blood did not appear to differ between people with and without depression.

Bjelland noted that while this result is surprising, measuring folate in the blood may, in fact, be a "less precise" indication of how much folate is actually in cells.

"In addition, in our study the laboratory method of measuring homocysteine was more accurate than the method for folate," Bjelland said.

Explaining why folate might play a role in depression, the researcher said the body may need the B vitamin to build important substances in the brain -- a lack of which may cause depression and other mental disorders.

To Bjelland, the current study supports a simple message: get your vitamins.

"Vitamins are important, not only for the physical health, but for the mental health as well," the researcher said.

[Mears]

I don't think this is new informations.

About 20 years ago my mother was suffering from severe depression and the doctor wanted to give her Vitamin B shots.

My mother refused to do this so whether it would have helped,I don't know,but apparently there was some info on this type of treatment at the time.

[secret garden]

Now people are going to miscontrue this as an anti-gay thing, with high levels of homocysteine being the culprit. ;)

[Paul_B]

This makes some sense. Vitamins B are crucial to the functioning of the adrenals, which are central to our ability to deal with stress and with infection and wounds. Thus, the B vitamins are call the stress vitamins.

The adrenal cortex is made up of proto nerve tissue, so bound up it is with the central nervous system. It's functioning has to intimately affect our mental processes.

[lib-r-teri-ann]

I don't think this is new informations. About 20 years ago my mother was suffering from severe depression and the doctor wanted to give her Vitamin B shots.

Damn straight. I had some problems with depression in my early 20s a few years ago, doc suspected I had B-vitamin deficiencies- from excessive caffeine intake! Apparently drinking coffee, like 5 or 6 cups a day washes B vitamins right out of the system as effectively as a drinking problem. Lack of B's = depression and a host of other problems.

Now I read a new study saying not only older folks, but 40% of those under 40 have B vitamin deficiencies - overwhelmingly cos of poor diet and caffeine intake.

[a history buff]

www.truehope.com

[FairOpinion]

Very interesting. I think they found that high levels of homocysteine are also correlated with higher risk of heart attacks, in fact I think even more so than cholesterol, if I remember it correctly.

Now we find that homocysteine plays a role in depression as well.

I guess vitamins are good for you after all, especially because I think we really don't get enough in our food.

[Black Agnes]

High levels of homocysteine have been linked to birth defects as well. Neural tube defects (spina bifida) and, more recently Downs Syndrome.

[ValerieUSA]

Okay, already! Quit nagging! I just took my vitamin pill.

Thanks for the reminder.

[catonsville]

There is a nonprescription product called 5-htp that some people use to fight depression. It is a Serotinin precursor.

You should have vitamin B6 with it to improve 5-htp's effectiveness.

So Vitamin B may have something to do with helping to process the brain's chemicals.

[Havisham]

Taking first 10,000 mg. per day methylcobalamin sublingual first for one month, then 2000 mg. per day henceforth, has restored my health. I lost the years between 35 and 45 to this deficiency. Only an alternative M.D. in metabolic disorders caught the diagnosis. The strangest symptom was the asymmetrical numbess and lack of strength in one leg. Thought I had MS there for a while. I like the NOW brand of sublingual methylcobalamin.

[FairOpinion]

"The strangest symptom was the asymmetrical numbess and lack of strength in one leg. Thought I had MS there for a while."

---

I read that MS is caused by the myelin sheath ( the membrane covering the spinal chord and and nerves in the brain too) being damaged. There is some controversy as to why it's being damaged. Vitamin B-12 stimulates the healing of the myelin, there are medical studies, which have shown that. When the myelin is gone in patches, it's like the insulation being gone from electric chords, and the nerves can't conduct impulses properly, which causes the weakness, nubmness, etc. i.e. the MS symptoms.

So it's possible that you had some damage of the myelin, which B-12 helped heal.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

It is unfortunate that the "mainstream" medical science is so closed minded, and slow to even pay attention to not only "alternative medicine", but to their own well documented studies. What I told you above is stuff I read in mainstream genuine medical journals, yet doctors don't give MS patients B-12.

[PistolPaknMama]

more recently Downs Syndrome

I don't think that is that recent either. My 24 year old nephew is Downs and I tried to find info on this not long after he was born, knowing nothing about it at all. I read way back then that it was link to vitamin B deficiency

[Black Agnes]

They've actually narrowed down the genetic pathway responsible they think. What's interesting is the correlation between maternal (and to some extent paternal) age and Downs is also found between age and blood homocysteine levels. The thought is that older mothers risk of Downs could be attenuated with proper supplements. Which would be wonderful. (nothing against your nephew, i'm sure he's a great kid, most Downs kids are).

[PistolPaknMama]

Yes I read all of that 24 years ago. It has long been a given that children of older women were at greater risk for Downs. I swear, they get more government funding to come up with the same "new" results! LOL!

And yes my nephew is a great kid. I call him our 250 lb. 4 year old. He is unfortunately unemployable and operates on the most simple terms. But sometimes, in our complicated world, I find that very refreshing. :-)

[truthandlife]

BUMP