Folic acid prevents depression

A regular intake of folic acid can help in preventing depression. Depression is one of the world's most common diseases, afflicting up to 1 in 10 individuals, across the nations. Amongst the various factors leading to depression, diet forms a significant part. Not only does depression manifest itself through a change in eating habits, it can also occur due to a change in these habits. This link between 'what we eat' and 'what we feel' is crucial in detecting depression. Researchers at the University of York, UK, pooled the results of 11 previous studies to understand the association between folate levels and depression. These studies examined a total of 15,315 participants (mostly adults), out of which 1769 had depression. The findings indicated that individuals with low folate levels had up to a 55 percent increased risk for depression. This increased depression risk remained even after taking into account the factors that could confound the results, like a reduced appetite and excessive alcohol drinking. What's more, not only did individuals with low folate levels have an increased risk of depression, but also the converse was true. Depressed individuals had lower folate levels than their non-depressed peers. The identification of low folate status as a specific risk factor for depression raises the possibility of using folic acid supplementation or improved diet in the prevention and treatment of depression. Although, it cannot be proved that low folate causes depression, but it is definitely clear that people with lower levels of this vitamin B have an increased risk of depression.