subject: Does A Once-a-day Vitamin Improve Depression? [print this page] Wouldn't it be terrific if a one-a-day multi-vitamin fought depression? They are available in any grocery store. They are low-cost. They are easy to take. But do they alleviate depression? Researchers have examined this question.
Researchers gathered volunteers for a depression study and randomly placed them into four groups: (1) a multi-vitamin group (2) a B-vitamin group and (3) a placebo group and (4) a group that received nothing. The multi-vitamin group took multi-vitamins and the B vitamin participants took B vitamins. The placebo group took a tablet that looked like the others but contained a ingredient that should have no impact (basically a "sugar pill"). What the scientists found was interesting: Anyone taking a tablet had a slight improvement in their depression -- it did not matter if the tablet was a B vitamin, a multi-vitamin, or the "sugar pill" equivalent. The scientists credit the change to a "placebo effect" -- the act of taking a pill had an impact. B vitamins and multi-vitamins had the same impact as a non-vitamin. Participants improved because they believed the supplement would help their depression and so it did. This study suggests vitamins do not matter, but is that true?
The research examined B vitamins along with multi-vitamins. Take a look at the B vitamin example in more detail. The issue missing in this research is that not all of us have the need for more B vitamins. If low levels of B vitamins are implicated in our depression, taking B vitamins may improve our case. If we have enough B vitamins already, why would more vitamins matter? Absent in the study is a determination of the patients' need for B vitamins. There are studies, particularly of the elderly, that show a strong link between vitamin B-12 and depression. Elderly people as a group tend to be deficient in vitamin B-12 In fact, researchers are recommending that people take a B-12 and B-6 vitamin to prevent the deficiency and, thereby, protect against the depression. There is some indication that B vitamins fight depression if the victim is deficient in those vitamins.
What about that once-a-day vitamin? Multi-vitamin are designed to help you avoid deficiencies over the long term. If you have a high need for a specific vitamin, the once-a-day vitamin dosage will probably not meet your need. In that case, you are not meeting your need with a daily vitamin. As with the B vitamin illustration, you cannot correct a B-12 deficiency with a multi-vitamin (not very quickly in any case). For all other vitamins, the story is the same. You need to identify what your body needs and then find a way to meet the need.
A daily vitamin is a short-range shot gun. You need a sniper rifle.
Vitamins can improve depression if if they are meeting a need that your body has. Your job is to figure out what those vitamins are and begin a regimen to improve them. Ask your doctor to give you a plasma homocysteine test for your B vitamin levels. Check your vitamin D, iron, and zinc levels. Start taking fish oil. You may find a solution sooner than you think.
