Advocacy » Health news » Folic acid in Depression
April 12, 2009
Folic acid is a nutrient involved in making serotonin. Deficiency is common, and has been linked with depression in many studies. A meta-analysis of 3 controlled trials of 247 patients concluded that folic acid supplementation helps people with depression. When added to drug therapy, folic acid improved scores on a standardized questionnaire in all three studies. Ask your doctor to measure your blood levels of folic acid. It helped people with normal levels in one study, but if your levels are low, you should definitely take more. It is safe to use 400-800 micrograms daily. B12 helps too, so check those levels at the same time.