The Importance Of B Vitamins for Mental Health

I am not a doctor, but I can tell you what happened to me. & nbsp;I have been struggling with depression and anxiety for a couple of years now. & nbsp;After much research and evaluating my diet I have come to the conclusion that I was seriously deficient in minerals and certain vitamins.

One of those vitamins was the B vitamins. & nbsp;How I figured it out? & nbsp;Well I started taking a B complex and within 2 hours was feeling much better mentally. & nbsp;My energy, which has been very bad, went up and was wonderfull. & nbsp;My mood became much better. & nbsp;All with one vitamin! & nbsp;I kept taking it daily and the way I felt continued! & nbsp;Conclusion.... I was deficient in B vitamins.

& nbsp; Since beginning a simple B complex vitamin I have noticed a major improvement in mood, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and energy.

Needless to say this is a very important nutrient if you look at what even a slight deficiency can do. & nbsp;I now also keep a stock of B complex vitamins in my emergency supplies because this is such and important vitamin for mental health in stressful situations.


Here are excerpts from several papers on B vitamins. Honestly I could post pages and pages of the research on it, but if you still have questions just google it.


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that one out of 10 adults in the U.S. suffers from & nbsp;

depression. Several studies have researched the possible relationship of vitamin B-12 with depression alone.

& nbsp;In a study published in the December 2002 issue of the "American Journal of Psychiatry," 806 elderly & nbsp;

people, some randomly selected and some with depressive symptoms or disorders, were evaluated for a & nbsp;

relationship between depression and vitamin B-12. The findings revealed that B-12 deficiency was not only & nbsp;

related to depression but may also be a causal factor.

Read more: & nbsp;http://www.livestrong.com/article/363331-vitamin-b12-mental-health/#ixzz2M6


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Depression is a common symptom of multiple B vitamin deficiencies.¹ & nbsp;Deficiencies of vitamin B1, thiamine, cause beri-beri. Early signs include symptoms like increased irritability, difficulty concentrating, depression and fatigue. B2, riboflavin, is an essential part of the process that builds neurotransmitters. It's also involved in making thyroid hormones. In some inpatient populations B2 deficiency has been linked with a trend toward unipolar depression and riboflavin supplementation with improvement.²

Raising serotonin levels helps calm anxiety. Serotonin is made in the brain from tryptophan. B3 (nicotinic acid/niacinamide) and B6 (pyridoxine) are critical parts of the enzymatic pathways that make serotonin.^3,3a

Estrogens can inhibit B6, leading to lower neurotransmitter levels including serotonin.Women on oral contraceptives should take extra B2,6,12 and folic acid^4,5 & nbsp;to avoid being grumpy. Women displaying behaviors injurious to themselves and others just before the onset of their menstrual cycles non infrequently consume substantial amounts of dairy and sugar and show positive responses to B6 supplementation.⁶

But it's not just a women's issue. Reports have indicated B6 deficiencies may be a factor in a wide range of psychopathologies including autism, Alzheimer's hyperactivity, learning disability, anxiety and depressive disorders.^7,8

At levels only slightly lower than normal, a range of symptoms such as & nbsp;fatigue, & nbsp;depression, and poor & nbsp;memory & nbsp;may be experienced.^[7] & nbsp;However, these symptoms by themselves are too nonspecific to diagnose deficiency of the vitamin.

Vitamin & nbsp;B₁₂ & nbsp;deficiency can also cause symptoms of mania and psychosis, fatigue, memory impairment, irritability, depression and personality changes. & nbsp;In infants symptoms include irritability, failure to thrive, apathy, anorexia, and developmental regression.