Daily supplement can ‘reduce depression symptoms’ in a month – and it’ll only cost you £2.50

TAKING a B6 vitamin pill every day could help ease depression symptoms in just a month, promising research suggests. British scientists found that a high-dose of the supplement daily boosted the production of chemical messengers in the brain linked to mood. The body needs vitamin B6 to help ensure red blood cells are healthy Credit: Getty Most people get around 2mg in their diet as it is naturally found in products like fish, leafy greens, eggs, avocados, grains and eggs Credit: Getty The body needs vitamin B6 to help ensure red blood cells are healthy and to process proteins, fat and carbohydrate – but only small levels are needed to do this. The NHS recommends at least 1.4mg (milligrams) of B6 a day for men and 1.2mg for women. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! Most people get around 2mg in their diet as it is naturally found in products like fish, leafy greens, eggs, avocados, grains and eggs. In the new trial, however, the daily pills contained 100mg of vitamin B6, more than 50 times the dose most people consume each day. Published in the journal Depression and Anxiety, scientists hope the findings will pave the way for bigger clinical trials investigating its impact. At the start of the study, 268 participants were asked to complete a questionnaire which asked about their emotional responses to everyday events, to assess their levels of stress, anxiety and depression. The volunteers were then randomly assigned to receive either B6 tablets, B12 tablets or a placebo for a month. The scientists found that participants who reported mild or more severe depression at the start of the trial, showed a reduction in symptoms compared to those given a placebo or Vitamin B12, by the end of the month. Most read in Health The scores of those who were depressed at the start halved after a month of taking B6 tablets. The impact was about three times that of the group taking the placebo, and more than five times that of as those taking B12. Writing in the journal, the scientists from the University of Reading said: “Vitamin B6 produced a selective reduction in depression symptoms compared to placebo or vitamin B12 with a very large effect size.” They added: “We have shown that high-dose vitamin B6 has therapeutic potential for depression, and large-scale clinical trials with patients should now be conducted to determine whether these findings from our mostly female sample generalise to males.” The scientists cautioned, however, that taking consistently high doses of vitamin B6 over a long period of time can trigger vitamin B6 toxicity. An overdose of B6 can affect your nervous system, causing a burning or tingling sensation and sometimes leading to a condition called peripheral neuropathy. One in six Brits report moderate or severe depressive symptoms, figures show Credit: Getty What are the symptoms of depression? The psychological symptoms of depression include: continuous low mood or sadness feeling hopeless and helpless having low self-esteem feeling tearful feeling guilt-ridden feeling irritable and intolerant of others having no motivation or interest in things finding it difficult to make decisions not getting any enjoyment out of life feeling anxious or worried having suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming yourself The physical symptoms of depression include: moving or speaking more slowly than usual changes in appetite or weight (usually decreased, but sometimes increased) constipation unexplained aches and pains lack of energy low sex drive (loss of libido) disturbed sleep – for example, finding it difficult to fall asleep at night or waking up very early in the morning Source: The NHS Dr David Field, an expert in nutritional psychiatry at the University of Reading and study lead author, also said: “This is a promising result that we believe justifies large-scale clinical trials to properly evaluate Vitamin B6 as a treatment for depression, either on its own or alongside existing therapies. “While no side effects were reported by participants in this study, any trials would also monitor any potential side effects.” He added: “Vitamin B6 plays a crucial role in the production of several chemical messengers in the brain, including serotonin and GABA, both of which are central to mood regulation. “An increase in these neurotransmitters is the most likely reason why we found that taking a regular high dose of B6 for a month produced a significant reduction in depression symptoms in people who were experiencing them.” Supplement tablets containing 100mg of vitamin B6 are sold in health shops and online for as little as £8 for 100 capsules. This is the equivalent of £2.50 for a month’s worth of daily tablets, 30 doses. It comes as latest survey figures from the Office for National Statistics show one in six Brits report moderate or severe depressive symptoms — 60 per cent higher than the previous three years. This towering rise has been blamed variously on mounting mental pressures caused by Covid lockdowns and the subsequent cost-of-living crisis. Separate data also shows around 8.6million people in England were taking an antidepressant in 2022/23 — almost a fifth of all adults. Comment now