Please note:
Any dietary or drug treatment with high doses of micronutrients may override the body's own control mechanisms; therefore, micronutrient therapies may be associated with potential side effects and toxicities. High-dosed micronutrients should not be used without medical supervision.
Some studies show that 15–38% of people with depression have low vitamin B9 (folate) levels in their bodies, and those with very low levels tend to be the most depressed. Low levels of folic acid have also been associated with a poor response to antidepressants (34) and the onset and progression of neuropsychiatric diseases in the geriatric population (61).
More research is needed to understand the link; it appears that folic acid may help enhance the effect of antidepressants, at least in some people, but folic acid itself is not a replacement for antidepressants.
Authored by Dr Peter Engel in 2010, reviewed and revised by Angelika Friedel on 29.06.2017
