New York Buyers’ Club - The Blog

Here’s more on the role of the B Vitamins in depression, together with some common supplementation strategies.

Source: University of Maryland Medical Center’s Complementary Medicine web resource

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DepressionStudies suggest that vitamin B9 (folate) may be associated with depression more than any other nutrient. Between 15% and 38% of people with depression have low folate levels in their bodies and those with very low levels tend to be the most depressed. Many healthcare providers start by recommending a multivitamin (MVI) that contains folate, and then monitoring the homocysteine levels in the blood to ensure the adequacy of therapy. Elevated homocysteine levels indicate a deficiency of folate even if the levels of folate in the blood are normal. If the MVI alone is not enough to lower homocysteine and improve folate function, the provider may suggest additional folate along with vitamins B6 and B12 to try to bring the homocysteine levels down, thereby eliminating the functional folate deficiency and, hopefully, helping to improve feelings of depression.

Note: NYBC stocks Douglas Lab’s Added Protection Without Iron, a highly bioavailable multivitamin that includes a comprehensive B complex. The no-iron formula is recommended especially if you have elevated liver enzymes or hepatitis.

You can also consider Added Protection With Iron if you want to include iron in your supplements.

Another choice for focusing on the B Vitamins is Jarrow’s B-right, which is especially formulated to provide optimal amounts of folate/folic acid (B-9), B-6 and B-12 for lowering homocysteine levels.