BJN: Vitamin B12 deficiency may increase risk of depression
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BJN: Vitamin B12 deficiency may increase risk of depression
In a research report titled “Low vitamin B12 but not folate is associated with incident depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults: a 4-year longitudinal study” published in the international journal British Journal of Nutrition, scientists from Trinity College Dublin and other institutions analyzed the association between the status of folate and vitamin B12 in the body and the higher prevalence of depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults through the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).
The study findings suggest that lower levels of vitamin B12 are associated with depressive symptoms, while folate does not seem to be related to the occurrence of depression.
These research results may provide relevant information for older adults, public health professionals, and policy makers to better understand how to identify risks and take protective measures to enhance the mental health of individuals aged 50 and above.
Deficiencies and lower levels of B-vitamins such as folate and vitamin B12 are highly prevalent in the bodies of older adults.
In Ireland, one-eighth of older adults exhibit lower levels of vitamin B12, and lower dietary intake and lower blood levels of these vitamins have been reported across all age groups in the Irish population.
Some adverse consequences of low levels of vitamin B12 include macrocytic anemia, impaired cognitive function, and damage to the protective myelin sheath around brain nerve fibers.
Therefore, understanding the association between the status of folate or vitamin B12 and the onset of late-life depression is crucial, as depression is an important risk factor for functional decline, institutionalization, and early mortality.
In this study, researchers utilized data from the TILDA project and performed relevant analyses on participants aged 50 and above who took part in the first wave of assessment.
These participant groups provided measurements of folate and vitamin B12 levels in their plasma as well as screening results for depression.
The researchers observed that individuals with vitamin B12 deficiency had a 51% increased likelihood of developing depressive symptoms within a 4-year period.
The main findings of this study include:
1) Lower levels of vitamin B12 are significantly associated with an increased risk of developing depressive symptoms within a 4-year period, but no association was observed with folate.
2) These research findings remained robust even after controlling for relevant confounding factors such as physical exercise, chronic disease burden, vitamin D status, cardiovascular disease, and antidepressant medication use.
3) Individuals with insufficient vitamin B12 levels had a 51% increased likelihood of developing depressive symptoms within a 4-year period.
4) Other factors influencing micronutrient intake in older adults include obesity, medication use, smoking, wealth, gender, and geographic location.
5) As individuals age, the risk of developing depression actually decreases.
6) Given the high prevalence of depression in the Irish elderly population and the relationship with vitamin B12 deficiency, these findings may have some relevance.
7) These observational results may provide reassurance to food policymakers regarding the potential of fortifying food to increase intake levels of these vitamins, which may help prevent disease occurrence in at-risk populations.
Dr. Eamon Laird, one of the researchers, stated that the high incidence of depression among elderly people living in Ireland, particularly evidence suggesting one-eighth of older adults have a high level of vitamin B12 deficiency, makes this study highly relevant. In Europe and the UK, there is a growing trend of introducing mandatory food fortification policies for vitamin B, especially mandatory fortification of folate, which has shown positive results in the United States, with only a 1.2% deficiency rate of folate in the population aged 60
Original source:
Eamon Laird, Aisling M. O’Halloran, Anne M Molloy, et al. Low vitamin B12 but not folate is associated with incident depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults: a 4 year longitudinal study, British Journal of Nutrition(2021). DOI: 10.1017/S0007114521004748BJN: Vitamin B12 deficiency may increase risk of depression
(source:internet, reference only)
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