High-dose vitamin B6 tablets have been shown to reduce feelings of depression and anxiety, according to new research.
Young adults studied by the University of Reading reported fewer of these feelings after a month of taking the supplements.
Previous studies have suggested that multivitamins may reduce stress levels, but few have investigated exactly which vitamins may be responsible.
Vitamin B6 is known to increase the body’s production of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a chemical that blocks impulses between nerve cells in the brain.
Lead author Dr. David Field said the vitamin “helps the body produce a specific chemical messenger that inhibits impulses in the brain, and our study links this calming effect to reduced anxiety among participants.”
Some 478 people participated and were randomly given either a placebo or vitamin B6 or B12 in doses higher than the normal recommendation.
B12 showed little difference from placebo, but B6 had a noticeable effect on the participants and raised their GABA levels, the study found.
Tuna, chickpeas and many fruits and vegetables contain the vitamin, but Dr. Field said it would probably need to be supplemented to have a positive effect on a person’s mood.
He said the research was at an early stage, and the effects were “pretty small” compared to drugs, but that B6 could be combined with more traditional therapies.
“One possible option would be to combine vitamin B6 supplementation with talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, to enhance their effect,” he said.
Another benefit, he added, is that “nutrition-based interventions have far fewer unpleasant side effects than medications.”
The investigation is published in the journal Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental.
