B Vitamins Important for Mood Balancing

by CP Staff

A recently published study investigated the effect of B vitamins on mood in subjects who had suffered a stroke. Elderly post-stroke survivors are at increased risk of mood changes, which has been shown to impact rehabilitation and disability.

In this new study, 273 subjects who had survived a stroke were supplemented with 2 mg of folic acid, 25 mg of vitamin B6, and 0.5 mg of vitamin B12 or placebo over 1 to 10.5 years. These B vitamins were selected based on the fact that when taken together, they balance levels of the amino acid homocysteine. Previous research suggests that increased homocysteine levels in the blood may play a role in mood changes. The subjects were evaluated for changes in mood at the end of the supplementation period.

The results of the study showed that after an average duration of 7.1 years, the subjects who received the B vitamin supplementation of folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 had increased support for healthier moods. In fact, there was a 52 percent decrease in risk of developing significant adverse mood changes in the subjects supplemented with these B vitamins compared to subjects in the placebo group.

The study authors concluded that in post-stroke survivors, supplementation with folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 supported healthy mood. They called for further research in this area.

Reference:

Almeida OP, Marsh K, Alfonso H, Flicker L, Davis TM, Hankey GJ. B-vitamins reduce the long-term risk of depression after stroke: The VITATOPS-DEP trial. Ann Neurol. 2010 Oct;68(4):503-10.