High-dose vitamin B6 supplements reduce anxiety

In a recent study published in Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and ExperimentalResearchers reported that vitamin B6 supplementation reduced anxiety.

B vitamins play an important role in the cellular metabolic processes essential to brain function and the nervous system, including those that help maintain a balance between nerve excitement and inhibition. Equilibrium to excitement is associated with multiple neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety. Thus, it has been suggested that high-dose B vitamin supplementation may effectively enhance behaviorally significant inhibitory effects.

In one study, subjects were supplemented with vitamin B-rich marmite and measured steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP). They observed a decrease in SSVEP amplitude after replenishment. This means increased neurosuppression or decreased excitement. This study referred to the established role of vitamin B6 in the synthesis of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). However, given that marmite is rich in B12 and other B vitamins, other mechanisms of action could not be ruled out.

About research

In this study, researchers investigated the effects of high-dose vitamin B6 or B12 supplements on anxiety and depression. The findings presented here are the collective results of a five-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Participants were the general adult population (mainly students) recruited in exchange for advertorial, social media, and word-of-mouth course units.

Participants were randomized to receive vitamin B6 / B12 or lactose placebo tablets. Individuals were excluded if they were using medications that interfered with diabetes, lactose intolerance, epilepsy, or B vitamin absorption. The vitamin B6 table contained 100 mg of B6 as pyroxidine hydrochloride, and the B12 tablet contained 1000 μg of B12 as methylcobalamin. The dose was well above the recommended daily allowance (RDA). Participants were asked to take with one tablet of food daily for 30-35 days.

The measurement of the results was 1) screening for adult anxiety-related disorders (SCAARED). [for anxiety]2) Mood and Emotion Questionnaire (MFQ)-Long Version [depression]3) Visual contrast sensitivity and surround suppression [the ability to detect low-contrast visual targets in the presence/absence of a suppressive background pattern]4) Competitive reversal rate for both eyes, and 5) Tactile battery test [tactile sensory processing battery]..

Survey results

The study included 478 participants, mainly women aged 18-58 (381). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of SCAARED data for B6 and placebo cohorts revealed that post-test anxiety was significantly reduced, primarily due to the reduction of B6 anxiety. Group subjects. A slight reduction in anxiety in the placebo group was not significant. ANOVA in the B12 and placebo groups revealed a significant reduction in post-test anxiety, primarily caused by a reduction in anxiety among participants in the B12 group.

The B6 group also had significantly lower post-test scores for SCAARED on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Social Anxiety (SA) subscales. In the B12 cohort, there was a significant post-test reduction on the separation anxiety (SEP) subscale. In contrast, no significant changes were observed in the placebo group.

ANOVA, which compares MFQ B6 with placebo group data, did not show a uniform direction of post-test depression changes. Instead, depression scores were more likely to decrease after the test in the B6 group, but increased in the placebo group. Moreover, this has approached statistical significance. Nonetheless, the t-test, which compares the baseline score with the post-test score, did not show such a significant change. B12 ANOVA and placebo cohort data showed no significant changes, and B12 group baseline and post-test score t-tests were not significant.

A stronger surround-suppressing effect was observed in the B6 cohort, reflecting a significant interaction between treatment and the presence or absence of suppressive surround. Follow-up t-test revealed that there was a significant difference in the minimum detectable contrast level between the two cohorts with and without surround suppression.

In contrast, the contrast threshold was higher in the B12 group than in the placebo cohort, regardless of surround suppression. However, in the presence of surround, the effect was slightly greater. There was no significant difference in binocular competition reversal rates between either vitamin group and the placebo cohort. Similarly, the two vitamin groups were not significantly different from the placebo group in any of the tactile battery test measurements.

Conclusion

The findings suggested that vitamin B6 supplementation affected the balance between neurosuppression and excitement. B6 supplementation amplified the visual contrast threshold only in the presence of suppressive surround. Specifically, this showed an increase in neurosuppression at higher GABA levels, given that the surround inhibitory effect on the contrast threshold was partially evoked by inhibitory GABAergic interneurons.

B6 supplements also reduced self-reported symptoms of anxiety. Elevated levels of GABA may explain the observed reduction in anxiety. In contrast, B6 supplementation had no apparent effect on other outcome measurements (depression, binocular competition, and tactile battery testing). Conversely, the team did not find a clear effect of B12 supplementation on outcome measurements, even though the tendency suggested lower anxiety and higher visual contrast thresholds.

In conclusion, this study showed that high-dose vitamin B6 supplementation could affect anxiety and observed an increase in vitamins surrounding suppression of visual contrast detection. In addition, measuring the effects of other micronutrients on these outcome indicators may help identify micronutrients that can be combined and tested as a treatment for anxiety and depression.