Vitamin B₁₂, Folate, and Homocysteine in Depression: The Rotterdam Study

Abstract

The association of vitamin B(12) and folate with depressive disorders may have different underlying mechanisms. Vitamin B(12) may be causally related to depression, whereas the relation with folate is due to physical comorbidity.

Consensus paper of the WFSBP Task Force on Biological Markers: Biological Markers in Depression

“…Plasma folate level were inversely associated with depression only in the subgroup of middle-aged women (Bjelland et al 2003). In a large group of elderly people (3884 probands), hyperhomocysteinemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, and, to a lesser extent, folate deficiency were all related to depressive disorders (Tiemeier et al 2002). For folate deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia, the association with depressive disorders was substantially reduced after adjustment for functional disability and cardiovascular disease, but for vitamin B12 this appeared independent.…”

Hyperhomocysteinemia and DNA hypomethylation, reduced the monoamines synthesis in depression: A case control study

“…On the other hand low level of neurotransmitter is to be linked with poor nutritional support [10,11,13,22,[26][27][28]. A countless amino acid acts as a precursor for the synthesis of neurochemicals in the brain, such as tryptophan is an essential amino acid and acts as a precursor to the serotonin (sadness, anxiety, aggression, enthusiasm) and hormone melatonin (regulates sleep-wake cycle) in the presence of folic acid and vitamin B12, act as a cofactor for mention cycle.…”

“…Sometimes tyrosine acts as a precursor to phenylalanine and are converted into dopamine and norepinephrine [2,12,[29][30][31]. Some other studies have suggested the amino acids tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine, and methionine are often helpful in treating many mood disorders including depression through increasing the concentration of monoamines in the brain [11,14,32].…”

“…Few studies have shown the bonding between nutritional deficiencies and depression. Nutrition may play a key role in the pathogenesis of mild to moderate depression [10,11]. Innovative discipline is nutritional neuroscience, focusing on the fact that nutritional factors are interacting with cognition, behavior, and emotions.…”

Intake of B vitamins in childhood and adult life in relation to psychological distress among women in a British birth cohort

“…In the American Women's Health and Ageing Study, elderly women with vitamin B 12 deficiency (serum vitamin B 12 ,200 pg/ml) were more than twice as likely to be depressed as non-deficient subjects (4) . In a study from Rotterdam, vitamin B 12 deficiency (serum vitamin B 12 ,350 pg/ml) was significantly related to depression.…”