Taking very high doses of B12 supplements lowers anxiety in a month.
People who take 100mg of the vitamin—a level that’s 75 times greater than the RDA—report lower anxiety and even a reduction in their depression, say researchers from the University of Reading in the UK.
The vitamin supports GABA, a neurotransmitter that blocks impulses between nerve cells in the brain, and it’s been linked to healthier brain activity and dampening down ‘neural excitation’, which can be seen in cases of epilepsy and chronic pain.
The researchers gave high-dose vitamins B6 and 12 to 478 people who suffered from anxiety or depression. B6 was the most effective at reducing anxiety, although B12 was also starting to have some positive results when the study finished after a month.
Vitamin B6 is also found in fruits, vegetables, tuna and chickpeas, but the researchers say that people won’t get the effective high doses just from diet.
Human Psychopharmacology, 2022; e2852; doi: 10.1002/hup.2852
