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| Vitamin B6 |
Recent studies have demonstrated that using high-dose
vitamin B6 (chemically known as pyridoxine) tablets will lessen anxiety and depressive symptoms. When high
dosages of vitamin B6 were administered to young adults for a month,
researchers at the University of Reading discovered that they reported feeling
less worried and less depressed.
The study, which was published in the journal Human
Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, offers important proof in favour
of the use of dietary supplements for treating or preventing mood disorders
that are thought to alter brain activity levels.
Lead author Dr. David Field from the University of
Reading's School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences said: "The
functioning of the brain depends on a fine balance between the excitatory neurons
that move information around and the inhibitory ones that curb overactive behaviour.
A disturbance of this balance, frequently in the direction of increased levels
of brain activity, has been linked by recent ideas to mood disorders and
several other neuropsychiatric illnesses.
Our research shows that taking vitamin B6 causes the
body to create a particular chemical messenger that blocks brain impulses and
has a calming impact on participants.
Although earlier research has shown that marmite or
multivitamins can lower stress levels, very little research has been done to
determine which specific vitamins in these products are responsible for this
outcome.
The current research was centred on the possible
function of vitamin B6, which is known to promote the body's production of GABA
(Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid), a substance that blocks impulses between brain nerve
cells.
In the current study, more than 300 volunteers were
randomly assigned to take one vitamin B6 or B12 supplement each day with food
for a month, greatly above the daily recommended amount (about 50 times the recommended
daily consumption).
The research found that during the course of the
trial, Vitamin B12 had no effect compared to placebo, while Vitamin B6 produced
a statistically significant difference.
Visual tests performed at the trial's conclusion
showed that those who had taken vitamin B6 supplements had higher GABA levels,
confirming the theory that B6 was the cause of the decrease in anxiety. Visual
performance showed minor, safe variations that were consistent with managed
levels of brain activation.
Many foods, such as tuna, chickpeas, and numerous
fruits and vegetables, contain vitamin B6, according to Dr. Field. The high
doses employed in this trial, however, imply that further supplements would be
required to have a good impact on mood.
The effect of vitamin B6 on anxiety in our study was
fairly tiny compared to what you would expect from medicine, and it is
important to note that this research is still in its early stages. However,
consumers may prefer nutrition-based interventions in the future because they
have fewer negative side effects than medications.
"More study is required to determine alternative
nutrition-based therapies that promote mental wellness, enabling other dietary
interventions to be integrated in the future to provide even better effects.
"One potential strategy would be to increase the
effectiveness of talking therapies like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy by
combining vitamin B6 tablets with them."
Reference:
David T. Field, Rebekah O. Cracknell, Jessica R. Eastwood, Peter Scarfe,
Claire M. Williams, Ying Zheng, Teresa Tavassoli. High‐dose Vitamin B6
supplementation reduces anxiety and strengthens visual surround suppression.
Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 2022; DOI:
10.1002/hup.2852
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