London: taking higher doses Vitamin B6 Supplements can reduce feelings of anxiety And depressionaccording to a study.
Scientists at the University of Reading in the UK measured the effect of high doses of vitamin B6 on young adults and found that they felt less anxious and depressed after taking the tablet every day for a month.
The study, published in the journal Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, provides valuable evidence to support the use of supplements thought to modify activity levels in the brain to prevent or treat mood disorders. “Brain functioning depends on a delicate balance between excitatory neurons that carry information around and inhibitory ones, which block runaway activity,” said study lead author David Fields from the University of Reading.
“Recent theories have associated mood disorders and certain other neuropsychiatric conditions with disturbances of this balance, often in the direction of raised levels of brain activity,” Field said. The researchers noted that vitamin B6 helps the body produce a specific chemical messenger that inhibits convulsions in the brain, and linked this calming effect with reduced anxiety among study participants.
While previous studies have presented evidence that multivitamin Can reduce stress levels, there have been some studies in which particular vitamins contained in them drive this effect.
The latest study focuses on the potential role of vitamin B6, which is known to increase the body’s production of gaba (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a chemical that blocks impulses between nerve cells in the brain.
In the study, more than 300 participants were randomly given supplements of either vitamin B6 or B12 that were about 50 times the recommended daily allowance or one. placeboAnd took one day with food for a month.
The study showed that vitamin B12 had little effect compared to placebo over the trial period, but vitamin B6 made a statistically reliable difference.
The increased levels of GABA in participants who took vitamin B6 supplements were confirmed by visual tests performed at the end of the trial, supporting the hypothesis that B6 was responsible for the reduction in anxiety.
The researchers said subtle but harmless changes in visual performance were found, consistent with controlled levels of brain activity.
Field said, “Many foods, including tuna, chickpeas and many fruits and vegetables, contain vitamin B6. However, the high doses used in this trial suggest that supplements would be necessary to have a positive effect on mood.” ”
“It is important to acknowledge that this research is in the early stages and the effect of vitamin B6 on anxiety in our study was much less than what you would expect from a drug.
“Although, nutrition based interventions cause far fewer unpleasant side effects than drugs, and so people may prefer them as an intervention in the future,” he said.
Scientists at the University of Reading in the UK measured the effect of high doses of vitamin B6 on young adults and found that they felt less anxious and depressed after taking the tablet every day for a month.
The study, published in the journal Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, provides valuable evidence to support the use of supplements thought to modify activity levels in the brain to prevent or treat mood disorders. “Brain functioning depends on a delicate balance between excitatory neurons that carry information around and inhibitory ones, which block runaway activity,” said study lead author David Fields from the University of Reading.
“Recent theories have associated mood disorders and certain other neuropsychiatric conditions with disturbances of this balance, often in the direction of raised levels of brain activity,” Field said. The researchers noted that vitamin B6 helps the body produce a specific chemical messenger that inhibits convulsions in the brain, and linked this calming effect with reduced anxiety among study participants.
While previous studies have presented evidence that multivitamin Can reduce stress levels, there have been some studies in which particular vitamins contained in them drive this effect.
The latest study focuses on the potential role of vitamin B6, which is known to increase the body’s production of gaba (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a chemical that blocks impulses between nerve cells in the brain.
In the study, more than 300 participants were randomly given supplements of either vitamin B6 or B12 that were about 50 times the recommended daily allowance or one. placeboAnd took one day with food for a month.
The study showed that vitamin B12 had little effect compared to placebo over the trial period, but vitamin B6 made a statistically reliable difference.
The increased levels of GABA in participants who took vitamin B6 supplements were confirmed by visual tests performed at the end of the trial, supporting the hypothesis that B6 was responsible for the reduction in anxiety.
The researchers said subtle but harmless changes in visual performance were found, consistent with controlled levels of brain activity.
Field said, “Many foods, including tuna, chickpeas and many fruits and vegetables, contain vitamin B6. However, the high doses used in this trial suggest that supplements would be necessary to have a positive effect on mood.” ”
“It is important to acknowledge that this research is in the early stages and the effect of vitamin B6 on anxiety in our study was much less than what you would expect from a drug.
“Although, nutrition based interventions cause far fewer unpleasant side effects than drugs, and so people may prefer them as an intervention in the future,” he said.