Vitamin B12 plays a critical role in the production of dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters that help regulate your mood. When you don't get enough B12 in your diet, or your body doesn't process it correctly, it can lead to mental health symptoms, such as depression, irritability, or anxiety.
Deficiency of Vitamin B12 can result in hematological changes, neurological and psychiatric problems, which can manifest as irritability, changes in personality, depression, and memory loss [9]. It is also known to worsen depression by excitotoxic reactions caused by the accumulation of homocysteine [10].
Vitamin B12 deficiency can have distressing neuropsychiatric symptoms. It can have an etiological role in clinical presentations like depression, anxiety, psychosis, dementia, and delirium, requiring screening of at-risk populations.
Vitamins B9 and B12 are both thought to treat symptoms of anxiety. Folic acid has many uses in the body, and B9 deficiency has been linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression. When taken in conjunction with B12, these B super-vitamins help metabolize serotonin, which is important for mood regulation.
Understanding how to increase your B12 intake can help reduce depressive symptoms. Vitamin B12 plays a critical role in the production of dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters that help regulate your mood.
Vitamin B-12 and other B vitamins play a role in producing brain chemicals that affect mood and other brain functions. Low levels of B-12 and other B vitamins such as vitamin B-6 and folate may be linked to depression.
It may take a few weeks before your vitamin B12 levels and symptoms (such as extreme tiredness or lack of energy) start to improve. If you have hydroxocobalamin injections to boost your vitamin B12 levels at the start of treatment, the cyanocobalamin tablets may start to work within a few days.
B12 acts as a cofactor in synthesis of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, thus B12 deficiency affects mood, emotions and sleeping and can lead to psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric manifestations of B12 deficiency are varied. They seldom precede anemia.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause symptoms that affect your brain and nervous system (neurological symptoms), including: numbness. muscle weakness. psychological problems, which can range from mild depression or anxiety, to confusion and dementia.
Vitamin B12 for Depression: Supplement Dosage
Very high daily doses of vitamin B12, ranging between 1000 and 2000 mcg, may effectively restore B12 levels within the body and positively impact depression symptoms.
Research suggests that while not all people with depression have low magnesium, those that do might be more likely to see symptom improvement with magnesium supplements. This may also suggest that getting enough magnesium in your diet can possibly help to prevent depression.
There are certain foods that also need a cut-down in case of vitamin B12 deficiency. “Some foods and drinks can interfere with vitamin B complex intake like alcohol, caffeine and processed foods, etc should be avoided completely,” Shah added.
Symptoms of vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia
General symptoms of anaemia may include: extreme tiredness (fatigue) lack of energy (lethargy) breathlessness.
Inadequate dietary intake
A balanced diet typically provides sufficient vitamin B12; however, strict vegans and people with a poor diet are at higher risk of developing a deficiency. Good sources of vitamin B12 include: Meat. Fish.
If vitamin B12 deficiency is left untreated, it can cause lasting serious side effects that affect the nervous system and brain. More severe side effects of vitamin B12 deficiency include: Peripheral neuropathy. Degeneration of the spinal cord.
When Vitamin B12 and folate supplements are combined, they enhance the production of serotonin and dopamine. The two vitamins both play important roles in regulating and maintaining a good mental health state. It is important to note that older people are more susceptible to deficiency of vitamin B12.
Main findings. This placebo-controlled randomised trial showed that the adjunctive use of folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 is safe and more effective than placebo at enhancing response to antidepressant treatment over 52 weeks, but not over the initial 12 weeks.
Current vitamin B12 status
Health professionals recommend a full blood count and reticulocyte count 7-10 after starting treatment, and eight weeks to confirm normal blood levels. If homocysteine or methylmalonic acid levels are abnormal, they should normalize during the first week of treatment.
Bananas are a cheap, healthy, and nutrient-dense fruit that can easily become a part of every individual's diet. It is one of the best fruits rich in vitamin B12.
While the recommended daily amount of vitamin B-12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms, higher doses have been found to be safe. Your body absorbs only as much as it needs, and any excess passes through your urine. High doses of vitamin B-12, such as those used to treat a deficiency, might cause: Headache.
Several studies have shown that people experiencing anxiety have lower vitamin B12 levels. One 2000 study found that men with vitamin B12 deficiency who recently lost a loved one reported higher levels of anxiety and depression (2).