B Vitamins May Reduce Risk of Depression
If you want to keep depression at bay, it may be time for you to start taking your vitamins. Our treatment center has long noticed the co-occurrence of depression and other mental health issues with addiction or alcoholism.
A new study shows that older adults who have higher intakes of vitamins B6 and B12 have a decreased risk of developing depression.
The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that the risk of developing depression decreased by 2 percent for every 10-milligram increase in daily vitamin B6 intake and 10-microgram increase in vitamin B12 intake.
This reduction held true regardless of race, education, income, antidepressant use and such habits as smoking or drinking.
What the results of the 12-year study of people 65 and older did not show is that there is a direct cause and effect between rates of depression and vitamin B intake. But increasing your intake of B vitamins couldn’t hurt.
Where You Can Find B Vitamins
B vitamins are found in a variety of foods, and can be easily integrated into your diet. Vitamin B6 is found in the following foods:
• Chicken
• Meat
• Salmon
• Tuna
• Peanut butter
• Potatoes
• Bananas
• Beans
Vitamin B12 is found in the following foods:
• Beef
• Salmon
• Trout
• Dairy products
If you don’t get enough of the vitamins in your daily diet, you can take vitamin supplements to help increase your health and decrease the risk of depression. Vitamins B6 and B12 help you to maintain a healthy nervous system, and B6 can help your body to regulate serotonin, which is often a factor in depression.
The recommended daily intake for B6 ranges between 1.5 to 1.7 milligrams, and for B12 2.4 micrograms. Too much B6 can cause nerve damage. There are no known harmful effects from B12. However, a deficiency of the vitamin can cause depression symptoms and problems with memory and thinking.
Our treatment program here at Sunrise Recovery includes all meals prepared by a professional chef who creates a menu that is nutritious and well rounded. Combining excellent nutrition with state of the art addiction treatment helps build momentum toward long term sobriety.
