Research Indicates Folic Acid Is Important for Mood

by CP Staff

A new study evaluated the relationship between folic acid, vitamin B12 and homocysteine levels and mood stabilization in adults. Homocysteine is an amino acid made by the body, and elevated levels in the blood are associated with low levels of vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folic acid.

In this new study, data from 2,524 adults between 20 and 85 years of age from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was analyzed regarding levels of folic acid, vitamin B12 and homocysteine. The subjects were also evaluated for mood health using a standardized questionnaire.

The results of this survey showed that women were more likely than men to have lower mood health scores. Also, the study found that folic acid levels were inversely related to scores measuring mood, particularly in women. This means that as the blood levels of folic acid decreased, there was an increase in mood symptom scores. More specifically, there was a 63 percent increase in likelihood of having a high mood symptom score in the subjects with the lowest folic acid levels compared to the subjects with the highest folic acid levels. In the subjects age 50 or older, there was also a correlation between elevated homocysteine levels and lower mood health indicator scores.

The researchers concluded, “Future interventions to improve mental health outcomes among U.S. adults should take into account dietary and other factors that would increase levels of serum folate.”

Reference:

Beydoun MA, Shroff MR, Beydoun HA, Zonderman AB. Serum Folate, Vitamin B-12, and Homocysteine and Their Association With Depressive Symptoms Among U.S. Adults. Psychosom Med. 2010 Sep 14. Published Online Ahead of Print.