More Folate Could Mean Less Depression
Lee Swanson Research Update
Men with the highest blood levels of folate were 50% less likely to have symptoms of depression, compared to men with the lowest levels, according to findings published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Led by researchers from the International Medical Center of Japan in Tokyo, the study also reports that increased levels of the amino acid homocysteine were associated with increased risk of depressive symptoms in men.
The study adds to a growing list of research linking folate and folic acid intake to improved mood, and follows a review by scientists at the University of York and Hull York Medical School of 11 studies and involving 15,315 participants that reported low folate levels were linked to increased depression (Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health Vo. 61, No.7).
Folate is found in foods such as green leafy vegetables, chick peas and lentils, while folic acid is the synthetic, bioavailable form of the vitamin used in fortification programs worldwide, as well as in supplements and other fortified foods.
Folate and homocysteine blood levels in 530 Japanese people, 217 of whom were women, were compared with depressive symptoms measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. Just over 36% of male and female participants had depressive symptoms, said the researchers.
Results showed that depressive symptoms were less common in men with higher folate levels. Indeed, the highest folate levels were associated with a 50% reduction in the prevalence of depressive symptoms, compared to the lowest folate levels.
On the other hand, a link between higher homocysteine levels and a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms in men was observed.
“In women, neither folate nor homocysteine was associated with depressive symptoms,” added the researchers.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition Published online ahead of print.
February 2010
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