Vitamin B and depression risk: is there a link?

Takeaway

• Lower biomarker status of folate, vitamin B6 and riboflavin but not vitamin B12 are associated with increased risk for depression in older adults.
• Deficiency of vitamin B6 is associated with higher risk for anxiety in older adults.

Why this matters

• Randomised controlled trials confirming these observational findings may have implication for dietary recommendations and health policy involving low-cost non-drug options to improve mental health and quality-of-life in older adults.

Study design

• A Trinity Ulster Department of Agriculture aging study included 5071 adults (age, ≥60 years) between 2008-2012.
• Depression and anxiety were evaluated using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression and Hospital Anxiety and Depression scales, respectively.
• All B vitamin biomarkers (folate, vitamin B12, vitamin B6 and riboflavin) were assessed.
• Funding: Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Health Research Board; Northern Ireland Department for Employment and Learning.

Key results

• After adjustment for confounders, risk for depression was significantly higher with lowest status for:
  • folate (OR, 1.79; P=.002).
  • vitamin B6 (OR, 1.45; P=.043).
  • riboflavin (OR, 1.56; P=.012).
• No significant association was observed between vitamin B12 and the risk for depression (P=.577).
• High fortified food intake (>1 portion/day) was associated with significantly lower risk for depression (OR, 0.54; P<.001).
• Deficient status of vitamin B6 but not other B vitamins was associated with increased risk for anxiety (OR, 1.73; P=.024).

Limitations

• Residual confounding and reverse causality cannot be excluded.
• Results may not be generalisable to other populations.