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B-Vitamins May Lead to Happier Seniors,
Reports New Study
Increased intakes of vitamins B6 and B12 may reduce the risk
of seniors developing depressive symptoms, says a new study
with 3,500 seniors from Chicago.
For every 10 milligram increase in the intake of vitamin B6 and for
every 10 microgram increase in vitamin B12 the risk of developing
symptoms of depression were decreased by 2 per cent per year,
according to findings published in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition.
The study adds to previous reports linking B vitamin intakes and
a lower risk of depression. The World Health Organization (WHO)
forecasts that within 20 years more people will be affected by
depression than any other health problem; it ranks depression as
the leading cause of disability worldwide, with around 120 million
people affected.
Following earlier reports on the potential anti-depressive benefits
of the B vitamins, researchers from Rush University Medical Center
in Illinois obtained data from 3,500 over 65 year-olds in Chicago.
Dietary intakes were quantified using food frequency questionnaires
and depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item version
of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies
Depression Scale:
Over an average of 7.2 years of follow-up, the researchers noted
that increased intakes of vitamins B6 and B12 were associated with
a “decreased likelihood of incident depression”. The intakes of the
vitamins came from both food and supplements, explained the
researchers.
The benefits did appear to be limited to supplement intakes, said
the researchers, since no link between depressive symptoms and
food intakes of B6 or B12 were observed. They also noted that “Our
results support the hypotheses that high total intakes of vitamins B6
and B12 are protective of depressive symptoms over time in
community-residing older adults,” concluded the researchers.
While the data does indicate correlation, it does not represent
causation. There is a biologically plausible link between B vitamin
intake and depressive symptoms, according to a 2003 study by
scientists from the University of Kuopio in Finland. Writing in BMC
Psychiatry (3:17), they noted that vitamin B12 is involved in the
synthesis of mono-amines, some of which act as neurotransmitters.
B12 may also inhibit the accumulation of dangerous homocysteine,
wrote the Kuopio scientists, which may lead to toxic reactions that
enhance depression. Indeed, data from other studies indicated
that 52 per cent of depressed patients have raised levels
of homocysteine.
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Published online: “Longitudinal association of vitamin B6, folate,
and vitamin B12 with depressive symptoms among older adults
over time”
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