The Effect of Methylated Vitamin B Complex on Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms and Quality of Life in Adults with Depression

Abstract

Depression, the most common type of mental illness, is the second leading cause of disability and is increasing among Americans. The effect of improved nutrition, particularly with dietary supplements, on depression may provide an alternative to standard medical treatment. Some studies have shown that certain nutrients (e.g., inositol and S-adenosyl methionine) are effective at improving depressed mood, although the results are not unequivocal. The current study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of a vitamin B complex nutritional supplement (Max Stress B) for improving depressive and anxiety symptoms according to the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories (BDI and BAI) in 60 adults diagnosed with major depression or other forms of depressive disorders. Secondary outcomes included quality of life according to the SF-36. Participants were assessed at baseline and 30- and 60-day followups. Max Stress B showed significant and more continuous improvements in depressive and anxiety symptoms, compared to placebo. Additionally, Max Stress B showed significant improvement on the mental health scale of the SF-36 compared to placebo. Thus, we showed modest utility of Max Stress B to improve mood symptoms and mental health quality of life in adults with depression.

B-vitamins in Relation to Depression in Older Adults Over 60 Years of Age: The Trinity Ulster Department of Agriculture (TUDA) Cohort Study

“…(combined with vitamin B12 and folate) in patients suffering from depression, 36 perhaps suggesting potential benefits of optimizing B6 status in this patient group. In line with the conclusions of a recent meta-analysis, we observed a positive association of anxiety with hypertension in the current study, the mechanism for which has been previously reviewed but remains unclear.…”

A randomised trial of nutrient supplements to minimise psychological stress after a natural disaster

“…For example, micronutrients act as cofactors in neurotransmitter synthesis and metabolism, where they can be rate-limiting factors (Ames et al, 2002). There are at least seven randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of B-Complex and combined mineral/vitamin formulations in which improvements in depression, anxiety and stress have been demonstrated (Carroll et al, 2000;Harris et al, 2011;Kennedy et al, 2010;Lewis et al, 2013;Long and Benton, 2013a;Rucklidge et al, 2012;Schlebusch et al, 2000) although not all trials using broadspectrum micronutrients have shown benefit for changing mood and anxiety (Cockle et al, 2000;Haskell et al, 2008Haskell et al, , 2010. However, all the negative trials were conducted on people who had no presenting psychological/psychiatric challenge.…”

Effect of Voluntary Exercise Training on Corticosterone Level and Immobility Behavior Induced by Chronic Stress in Rats

“…So far, many studies have examined various interventions for the treatment of depression [10][11][12]. Various studies have shown that using different types of physical activity may be useful in treating depression [12][13][14].…”