Folate and Mental Health

Folate and Mental Health — scientific infographic poster

Folate (vitamin B9) is part of the one-carbon metabolism that makes S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), and low folate status has been linked with depression and, through homocysteine, with cognitive decline. In a meta-analysis of observational studies, low folate was associated with depression (pooled odds ratio 1.55 unadjusted, 1.42 adjusted), although the authors note that a causal relationship has not been confirmed (Gilbody 2007). Trials that added a folate form to antidepressants have given mixed results: folic acid improved response in women but not men in a 2000 trial (Coppen 2000), a large 2014 trial of 5 mg of folic acid found no benefit (Bedson 2014), and of two 2012 trials of L-methylfolate the first found no difference from placebo while the second found 15 mg a day more effective (Papakostas 2012). In older adults with mild cognitive impairment, B vitamins slowed brain atrophy in one trial (Smith 2010), while a meta-analysis of 11 trials found no effect of homocysteine-lowering B vitamins on cognitive aging (Clarke 2014).

Table of Contents

  1. Key Findings at a Glance
  2. One-Carbon Metabolism and SAMe Production
  3. Methylation, BH4 and Neurotransmitter Synthesis
  4. Folate Status and Depression
  5. MTHFR C677T Polymorphism
  6. L-Methylfolate as an Add-On to Antidepressants
  7. Homocysteine and Cognitive Decline
  8. B-Vitamin Trials in Cognitive Impairment
  9. What the Clinical Evidence Shows
  10. Key Research Papers
  11. Connections
  12. Featured Videos

Key Findings at a Glance

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One-Carbon Metabolism and SAMe Production

Folate's proposed links with mental health run through one-carbon metabolism, the set of reactions that produces the methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe).

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Methylation, BH4 and Neurotransmitter Synthesis

The monoamines (serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine) are the neurotransmitter systems most often discussed in folate and mood research.

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Folate Status and Depression

The link between low folate and depression comes mainly from observational studies.

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MTHFR C677T Polymorphism

The MTHFR C677T variant has been studied as a natural test of whether folate metabolism affects depression risk. The associations found are modest.

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L-Methylfolate as an Add-On to Antidepressants

L-methylfolate (also called 5-MTHF or methylfolate) is one of three forms of folate commonly used in depression research, alongside folic acid and folinic acid. Fava and Mischoulon write that some forms may be more bioavailable than others in people with a genetic polymorphism and in those who take particular medications or use alcohol (Fava & Mischoulon 2009).

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Homocysteine and Cognitive Decline

Raised homocysteine, which reflects low folate or B12 status, has been studied as a risk factor for dementia.

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B-Vitamin Trials in Cognitive Impairment

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What the Clinical Evidence Shows

Summary

Folate is needed for one-carbon metabolism and SAMe production, and low folate status is associated with depression and with poorer response to antidepressants in observational studies. The MTHFR 677TT genotype is modestly associated with depression. Trials of adding folate to antidepressants are mixed: L-methylfolate 15 mg/day helped in one of two 2012 trials and shows a small, possibly modest effect in meta-analysis, while 5 mg of folic acid gave no benefit in the largest trial. Raised homocysteine predicts dementia in cohort studies, and B vitamins slowed brain atrophy in people with mild cognitive impairment and higher homocysteine, but a meta-analysis of large trials found no effect on cognitive aging.

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Key Research Papers

  1. Papakostas GI, et al. L-methylfolate as adjunctive therapy for SSRI-resistant major depression: results of two randomized, double-blind, parallel-sequential trials. Am J Psychiatry. 2012;169(12):1267-1274. — PubMed PMID: 23212058
  2. Gilbody S, Lewis S, Lightfoot T. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genetic polymorphisms and psychiatric disorders: a HuGE review. Am J Epidemiol. 2007;165(1):1-13. — PubMed PMID: 17074966 (Editorial note: this entry previously linked PMID 26177556, a different paper, now listed separately below.)
  3. Gilbody S, Lightfoot T, Sheldon T. Is low folate a risk factor for depression? A meta-analysis and exploration of heterogeneity. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2007;61(7):631-637. — PubMed PMID: 17568057 (Editorial note: this entry was previously a PubMed topic search for folate and depression meta-analyses, now listed under PubMed Topic Searches.)
  4. Smith AD, et al. Homocysteine-lowering by B vitamins slows the rate of accelerated brain atrophy in mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial (VITACOG). PLoS ONE. 2010;5(9):e12244. — PubMed PMID: 20838622
  5. Seshadri S, Beiser A, Selhub J, Jacques PF, Rosenberg IH, D'Agostino RB, Wilson PW, Wolf PA. Plasma homocysteine as a risk factor for dementia and Alzheimer's disease. N Engl J Med. 2002;346(7):476-483. — PubMed PMID: 11844848
  6. Galizia I, et al. S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) for depression in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;10:CD011286. — PubMed PMID: 27727432 (Editorial note: this entry was previously a PubMed topic search for SAMe in depression, now listed under PubMed Topic Searches.)
  7. Longo N. Disorders of biopterin metabolism. J Inherit Metab Dis. 2009;32(3):333-342. — PubMed PMID: 19234759 (Editorial note: this entry was previously a PubMed topic search for BH4 and monoamine synthesis, now listed under PubMed Topic Searches.)
  8. Clarke R, et al. Effects of homocysteine lowering with B vitamins on cognitive aging: meta-analysis of 11 trials with cognitive data on 22,000 individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;100(2):657-666. — PubMed PMID: 24965307 (Editorial note: this entry was previously a PubMed topic search for folate and cognitive decline, now listed under PubMed Topic Searches.)
  9. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Folate Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
  10. Linus Pauling Institute — Folate
  11. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — Folate (Folic Acid)
  12. Rai V. Genetic polymorphisms of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene and susceptibility to depression in Asian population: a systematic meta-analysis. Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand). 2014;60(3):29-36. — PubMed PMID: 26177556
  13. Coppen A, Bailey J. Enhancement of the antidepressant action of fluoxetine by folic acid: a randomised, placebo controlled trial. J Affect Disord. 2000;60(2):121-130. — PubMed PMID: 10967371
  14. Bedson E, et al. Folate Augmentation of Treatment – Evaluation for Depression (FolATED): randomised trial and economic evaluation. Health Technol Assess. 2014;18(48):1-159. — PubMed PMID: 25052890
  15. Maruf AA, Poweleit EA, Brown LC, Strawn JR, Bousman CA. Systematic review and meta-analysis of L-methylfolate augmentation in depressive disorders. Pharmacopsychiatry. 2022;55(3):139-147. — PubMed PMID: 34794190
  16. Papakostas GI, et al. Effect of adjunctive L-methylfolate 15 mg among inadequate responders to SSRIs in depressed patients who were stratified by biomarker levels and genotype: results from a randomized clinical trial. J Clin Psychiatry. 2014;75(8):855-863. — PubMed PMID: 24813065
  17. Lewis SJ, Lawlor DA, Davey Smith G, Araya R, Timpson N, Day IN, Ebrahim S. The thermolabile variant of MTHFR is associated with depression in the British Women's Heart and Health Study and a meta-analysis. Mol Psychiatry. 2006;11(4):352-360. — PubMed PMID: 16402130
  18. Wu YL, et al. Association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and depression: an updated meta-analysis of 26 studies. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2013;46:78-85. — PubMed PMID: 23831680
  19. Frosst P, et al. A candidate genetic risk factor for vascular disease: a common mutation in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. Nat Genet. 1995;10(1):111-113. — PubMed PMID: 7647779
  20. Crider KS, et al. MTHFR 677C→T genotype is associated with folate and homocysteine concentrations in a large, population-based, double-blind trial of folic acid supplementation. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;93(6):1365-1372. — PubMed PMID: 21508090
  21. Bottiglieri T. Folate, vitamin B12, and neuropsychiatric disorders. Nutr Rev. 1996;54(12):382-390. — PubMed PMID: 9155210
  22. Bottiglieri T. Homocysteine and folate metabolism in depression. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2005;29(7):1103-1112. — PubMed PMID: 16109454
  23. Coppen A, Bolander-Gouaille C. Treatment of depression: time to consider folic acid and vitamin B12. J Psychopharmacol. 2005;19(1):59-65. — PubMed PMID: 15671130
  24. Fava M, Mischoulon D. Folate in depression: efficacy, safety, differences in formulations, and clinical issues. J Clin Psychiatry. 2009;70 Suppl 5:12-17. — PubMed PMID: 19909688
  25. Fava M, Borus JS, Alpert JE, Nierenberg AA, Rosenbaum JF, Bottiglieri T. Folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine in major depressive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 1997;154(3):426-428. — PubMed PMID: 9054796
  26. Papakostas GI, et al. Serum folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine in major depressive disorder, Part 1: predictors of clinical response in fluoxetine-resistant depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2004;65(8):1090-1095. — PubMed PMID: 15323594
  27. Papakostas GI, et al. Serum folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine in major depressive disorder, Part 2: predictors of relapse during the continuation phase of pharmacotherapy. J Clin Psychiatry. 2004;65(8):1096-1098. — PubMed PMID: 15323595
  28. Geddes JR, et al. Comparative evaluation of quetiapine plus lamotrigine combination versus quetiapine monotherapy (and folic acid versus placebo) in bipolar depression (CEQUEL): a 2 × 2 factorial randomised trial. Lancet Psychiatry. 2016;3(1):31-39. — PubMed PMID: 26687300
  29. Douaud G, et al. Preventing Alzheimer's disease-related gray matter atrophy by B-vitamin treatment. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013;110(23):9523-9528. — PubMed PMID: 23690582
  30. de Jager CA, Oulhaj A, Jacoby R, Refsum H, Smith AD. Cognitive and clinical outcomes of homocysteine-lowering B-vitamin treatment in mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2012;27(6):592-600. — PubMed PMID: 21780182
  31. Jain R, Manning S, Cutler AJ. Good, better, best: clinical scenarios for the use of L-methylfolate in patients with MDD. CNS Spectr. 2020;25(6):750-764. — PubMed PMID: 31833826
  32. CDC — MTHFR Gene Variant and Folic Acid Facts
  33. FDA — Guidance for Industry: Frequently Asked Questions About Medical Foods, Third Edition (2023)

PubMed Topic Searches

  1. PubMed: folate and depression meta-analyses
  2. PubMed: S-adenosylmethionine in depression
  3. PubMed: tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) and monoamine synthesis
  4. PubMed: folate and cognitive decline

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Connections

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