Higher vitamin B6 intake is associated with lower depression and anxiety risk in women but not in men: A large cross-sectional study

This 2020 study explored the correlation between intake of vitamin B6 with depression and anxiety among 3362 adults. Kafashani et al. (2020) used a validated 106 item self-administered Willett-format dish-based semi quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (DFQ) and an Iranian validated version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire to obtain data on the participants’ diet and mental health. The results exposed the significantly lower consumption of vitamin B6 in anxious and depressed individuals, compared to healthy subjects. After making adjustments for potential confounders, less vitamin B6 in the diet of the women and of the whole sample population was associated with increased risk in developing depression (OR = 1.41, P < 0.001. OR = 1.33, P = 0.02, respectively) and higher odds of suffering from anxiety (OR = 2.30, P < 0. 001, OR = 2.30, P = 0.04). This data provides further evidence of the association between lower vitamin B6 intake and increased prevalence of depression and anxiety. Enhancing nutritional status is thought to help cut down on these disorders, but further research, particularly robust randomized controlled trials, are necessary to provide more proof. [NPID: micronutrients, nutritional supplements, vitamin B6, depression, anxiety, Iran, B6]

Year: 2020

Reference: Kafeshani, M., Feizi, A., Esmaillzadeh, A., Keshteli, A. H., Afshar, H., Roohafza, H., & Adibi, P. (2020). Higher vitamin B6 intake is associated with lower depression and anxiety risk in women but not in men: A large cross-sectional study. International journal for vitamin and nutrition research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Vitamin- und Ernahrungsforschung. Journal international de vitaminologie et de nutrition, 90(5-6), 484–492. https://doi.org/10.1024/0300-9831/a000589