By Sean Henahan, Access Excellence

SWANSEA, UK- A small difference in nutrition can make a big difference in mood and mental health, suggests a new British study.

Researchers investigated the potential effects of vitamin supplementation on mood in a double-blind study involving 129 healthy young adults. The participants received either a daily dose of nine vitamins or a placebo for one year. With the exception of vitamin A, participants received ten times the USRDA of nine vitamins, including B-vitamins, vitamin C and vitamin E.

Two psychological screening tools, the Profile of Mood States and the General Health Questionnaire formed the basis for mood assessment. After one year, males taking the vitamin supplement showed increases in POMS, compared with patients receiving placebo. Female participants also felt more 'agreeable' and showed improvements in both POMS and GHQ scores. The differences between active treatment and placebo reached statistical significance for both men and women.

These changes in mood were not seen until 12 months, although serum levels of the vitamins reached a plateau after only three months. Improved mood appeared to correlate with improved riboflavin and pyridoxine levels in men. In women participants, baseline thiamine status was associated with poor mood, and improvement in thiamine levels correlated with improved mood. Increased levels of biotin and vitamin E were also associated with 'feeling more agreeable', reported Dr. David Benton, department of psychology, University College, Swansea.

"It appears that the provision of higher levels of vitamins has facilitated long-term changes, of an unknown nature: the implications of long-term supplementation need to be systematically examined," he said.

Although the role of vitamin status on mood has been little examined, there are good biochemical reasons to consider the possibility, he said. Vitamins and their derivatives play important roles in the nervous system. For example, pyridoxal phosphate is necessary as a co-enzyme in the production of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, serotonin and GABA, he noted.

In addition, both folic acid and vitamin B-12 are coenzymes for catechol-O-methyl transferase important in the breakdown of catecholamines, which are known to play a role in mental state. Ascorbic acid, for its part, is necessary for the synthesis of dopamine and norepinephrine. Thiamin is essential for the breakdown of glucose, a primary source of the brain's energy, he added.

SOURCE: Neuropsychobiology 1995; 32:98-105, Benton et al.

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