Scientists Discover That This Type of Supplement Can Reduce Depression and Anxiety

Vitamin B6 supplements were shown to reduce depression and anxiety in a recent study.

According to a recent study, the use of high-dose vitamin B6 tablets may help with feelings of anxiety and depression.

Researchers of the college of reading studied the effects of high-dose vitamin B6 in young adults and found that they felt less anxious and depressed after taking the supplements every day for a month.

The research, published in the journal Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimentaladds to the body of evidence supporting the use of supplements thought to alter brain activity levels for the prevention or treatment of mood disorders.

Dr David Field, lead author of the study from the University of Reading’s School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, said: “The functioning of the brain is based on a delicate balance between excitatory neurons that carry information and inhibitory ones. , which prevent runaway activity. Recent theories have linked mood disorders and some other neuropsychiatric conditions to a disturbance of this balance, often in the direction of heightened levels of brain activity. Vitamin B6 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.”

While previous research has shown that multivitamins or marmite can lower stress levels, few studies have investigated which vitamins are responsible for this impact.

Current research focuses on the potential role of vitamin B6, which is known to promote the body’s production of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a molecule that blocks nerve cell impulses in the brain.

In the current study, more than 300 people were randomly assigned to vitamin B6 or B12 supplements well in excess of the recommended daily intake (about 50 times the recommended daily amount) or a placebo. The participants took one a day with meals for a month.

The study showed that vitamin B12 had little effect compared to placebo during the trial period, but vitamin B6 made a statistically reliable difference.

Elevated GABA levels among participants who had taken vitamin B6 supplements were confirmed by visual tests performed at the end of the trial, supporting the hypothesis that B6 is responsible for anxiety reduction. Subtle but harmless changes in visual performance consistent with controlled levels of brain activity were detected.

Dr Field said: “Many foods, including tuna, chick peas and many fruits and vegetables, contain vitamin B6. However, the high doses used in this trial suggest that the supplements would be necessary to have a positive effect on mood. It is important to recognize that this research is at an early stage and that the effect of vitamin B6 on anxiety in our study was quite small compared to what would be expected from the medication. However, nutrition-based interventions produce far fewer unpleasant side effects than drugs, so people may prefer them as an intervention in the future.”

He continues: “For this to be a realistic option, more research is needed to identify other nutrition-based interventions that benefit mental well-being, allowing different dietary interventions to be combined in the future to provide better results. One potential option would be to combine vitamin B6 supplementation with talking therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy to increase its effect.”

Reference: “High-Dose Vitamin B6 Supplementation Reduces Anxiety and Strengthens Suppression of the Visual Environment” by David T. Field, Rebekah O. Cracknell, Jessica R. Eastwood, Peter Scarfe, Claire M. Williams, Ying Zheng, and Teresa Tavassoli, July 19, 2022, Clinical and Experimental Human Psychopharmacology.
DOI: 10.1002/hup.2852