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Folate and Depression in Men
January 28, 2010Low blood levels of folate may be associated with an increased prevalence of depressive symptoms in men, suggests a Japanese study.
Folate is a B vitamin that occurs naturally in food and folic acid is the synthetic form of the vitamin found in fortified foods and supplements. Sources include cereals, baked goods, leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli and lettuce), okra, asparagus, fruits (bananas, melons and lemons), legumes, yeast, mushrooms, organ meat (beef liver, kidney), orange juice and tomato juice.
Researchers analyzed data for 530 municipal employees (313 men and 217 women), aged 21-67, who participated in a health survey during a periodic checkup. They found that men with higher blood levels of folate had fewer depressive symptoms than those with lower levels of the vitamin. Higher blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine were linked to more depressive symptoms in men. (Other research has linked high homocysteine levels with vitamin B deficiencies.)
In women, neither folate nor homocysteine was associated with depressive symptoms.
Researchers do not yet know whether these findings apply to people in other cultures.
For more information about folate, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.
Nanri A, Mizoue T, Matsushita Y, et al. Serum folate and homocysteine and depressive symptoms among Japanese men and women. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Jan 20.
Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. www.naturalstandard.com
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