Research & Development In Brief
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
B vitamins may lower depression: Older adults' total intakes of vitamins B6 and B12 protect against depressive symptoms over time, according to a longitudinal study conducted by researchers including Kimberly Skarupski, Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago. Supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, the research was published in the June 2 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study of 3,503 adults from the ongoing Chicago Health and Aging project with adults ages 65 and older found higher total intakes of the vitamins were associated with a decreased likelihood of depression, after adjusting for factors including age, sex, race and antidepressant medication use. Each additional 10 mg of vitamin B6 and additional 10 mcg of vitamin B12 were associated with "2 percent lower odds of depressive symptoms per year," according to researchers