Folate & Depression

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Folate is a vitamin and supplement that has shown promising results for those suffering from depression. It has been most notable for those already taking antidepressants, although it still offers hope even for those not on medication.

Folate, aka folic acid or B9, is the supplement that the FDA has required be added to cereal and grain products since 1998 to curb miscarriage and birth defects. It is naturally found in beans, vegetables, and fruits.

Folate deficiency can be caused by a number of factors, including celiac disease, liver disease, excessive alcohol consumption, certain medications, and pregnancy.

How it helps depression

Just as with Vitamin C and Magnesium, folate is involved in the production of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. These are a few of the potentially 100+ neurotransmitters that our bodies make that enable different parts of our bodies to communicate. Our bodies have billions of neurons but these neurons don’t touch – there is a tiny gap in between them. In order for these neurons to communicate with each other we have neurotransmitters that create a reaction between the neurons. A lack of neurotransmitters means we don’t have all our neurons firing at the optimal level. Neurotransmitters also help regulate our mood, sleep, and concentration. Melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate sleep, also relies on folate.

Additionally, folate helps breaks down homocysteine. Homocysteine is an amino acid that we get primarily from eating cheese, eggs, fish, meat, and poultry. It is toxic to our neurons and can also induce DNA damage. With adequate levels of vitamin B12, B6, and folic acid, our body breaks down homocysteine into non-harmful cysteine, and glutathione, an important antioxidant. Without this breakup, homocysteine levels rise and can lead to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and depression.

Amounts and recommended forms

As with most supplements, it’s important to take the right form of folate. Methyl-folate is the form found naturally in food, and can also be found in supplemental form. Some people carry a gene variation that prevents them from converting the folic acid that is often found in supplemental form (and what is added to grain products) into the usable form, methyl-folate. Up to 70% of depression patients test positive for this gene variation and therefore cannot convert folic acid to methyl-folate. That means that even if you are getting lots of folic acid from supplements or fortified foods, it is possible your body is not able to convert that into a usable form.

If choosing to take a supplement, by taking a methylated form (the active form your body is ready to use), you are ensuring that your body can properly absorb this nutrient.

The recommended dose of folate is 400 mcg per day. It is notable that studies on folate have used doses of up to 15 mg per day – over 35 times the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). There are only a couple cautions noted with high levels of folate, and both can easily be managed:

High levels can mask vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms, so it is often recommended to take B12 along with folate.
High levels of folic acid (the supplemental form) can be associated with cancer. These high levels most likely occur in individuals taking folic acid who have the gene variation. This is unlikely to occur in taking methyl-folate, and, in fact, methyl-folate can help reduce cancer rates.

Other than these cautions high dosages have not been shown to cause serious side effects.

Foods high in folate:

Food	Serving Size	Calories	Amount (mcg)	Daily Value%
Lentils Pinto Beans Garbanzo Beans Asparagus Spinach Black Beans Navy beans Kidney Beans Turnip Greens Broccoli Lima Beans Beets Romaine Lettuce Dried Peas Avocado	1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 2 cups 1 cup 1 cup	230 245 269 40 41 227 255 225 30 55 216 75 16 231 240	358 294 282 268 262 256 255 230 170 168 156 136 128 127 122	90% 74% 71% 67% 66% 64% 64% 58% 42% 42% 39% 34% 32% 32% 30%

If you want to add in a supplement, Thorne is a great brand and their M e thyl Guard formulation has 500% of your daily folate needs (as well as vitamins B6 & B12). If you want to really cover your bases with your B-vitamins, Thorne’s B Complex is a good option.

Bottom Line

Studies continue to show that folate may be beneficial for depression symptoms due to its involvement in the production of neurotransmitters and breakdown of the amino acid homocysteine. It is important to eat folate in its natural, methylated form, either directly from food or in supplemental form. High amounts have shown few, if any, side effects, especially if taken along with Vitamin B12 and in the methylated form.