At a glance

Research in this WellBeing Natural Health & Living News item was sourced from: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

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Don’t worry, “B” happy

21 June 2010

Declining mood and even depression can be a problem for people as they get older. This is not a pleasing prospect for anyone but the good news is that simply ensuring that your B vitamin intake is adequate will reduce your risk of the “blues” striking in your later years. A new study has followed 3500 adults, who were at least 65 years of age, for twelve years. Detailed dietary questionnaires were used to establish the vitamin intake of the people involved and they were assessed for depression at regular intervals. People in the study consumed anywhere from 0.6mg to200mg of vitamin B6 daily and from 0.3mcg to 233mcg of vitamin B12. It was found that between eleven and fourteen per cent of people showed depression symptoms during the study which is in keeping with the ever growing societal occurrence of depression. What the researchers found was that risk for developing depression dropped as intake of B6 and B12 increased. In fact there was a dose-dependent relationship. For every 10mg increase daily in B6 intake, and every 10mcg increase in B12 intake, the chances of developing depression dropped by two per cent. So the difference in risk between someone consuming the lowest to the highest level of B6 is about 40 per cent. Vitamin B6 can be found in beans, potatoes, bananas, salmon, tuna, red meat, chicken, and peanuts. Food sources of vitamin B12 include beef, trout, tuna, salmon, dairy foods, eggs, oysters, and miso. Both of these B vitamins are involved in nervous system function. B12 is involved in the production of the protective myelin sheath for some nerves and also has the widespread function of being necessary for the production of DNA. Vitamin B6 is involved in the manufacture of neurotransmitters in the brain one of these being serotonin which is believed to play a role in depression. While not showing that these B vitamins can “treat” depression, this study shows that having adequate levels can reduce your risk of developing the condition. So B proactive about getting your B vitamins and you may well find yourself in touch with the completely bearable lightness of B-ing.