This article was previously published on July 2, 2020 and has been updated with new information.
Up to 2.5% of children and 8.3% of adolescents suffer from depression, a condition that is associated with significant complications later in life, including increased risk of suicide, substance abuse and abuse. hobbies, physical illnesses, and work, academic, and psychosocial problems.first
Both genetic and environmental factors are believed to play a role in why some children develop depression, and increasing attention has been placed on the role of regulatory factors. dietary intake and nutrients such as vitamin D, ideally obtained through exposure to sunlight.
Furthermore, one-carbon metabolism, including vitamin B12, folate and homocysteine, which plays a role in many biological processes and maintains cellular homeostasis, has been investigated for its role in disorders psychiatry, including depression in adults.2
After further exploring the link, researchers from Ordu University in Turkey revealed that low vitamin B12 and vitamin D levels, along with an increase in homocysteine, may play a role in depression in children and adolescents.3
Childhood depression linked to low vitamin B12, possibly with folate
The study involved 89 depressed children and adolescents, along with 43 non-depressed subjects as controls. Volunteers completed a childhood depression and anxiety test and measured their folate, vitamin B12, homocysteine, and vitamin D levels.
While there was no significant difference in folate levels between the groups, 11.23% of those with depression had low folate levels. Furthermore, in the depression group, vitamin B12 and vitamin D levels were “apparently low”. How this may contribute to depression, the researchers explain:4
“One-carbon metabolism has a fundamental role in the methylation of neurotransmitters, proteins and membrane phospholipids. In addition, it is required for DNA synthesis.
With a deficiency of vitamin B12 and folate, methylation is hindered and the level of neurotransmitters decreases. Also associated with vitamin B12 and folate deficiencies, there are increased levels of the extremely neurotoxic metabolite of homocysteine. “
Both vitamin B12 and folate have previously been described as antidepressant nutrients.5 Folate, found in dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, avocados and other fresh vegetables, is involved in the body’s production of mood-regulating neurotransmitters. In one study, people who consumed the most folate had a lower risk of depression than those who ate the least.6
Vitamin B12 is found only in animal foods such as meat, eggs, dairy and wild-caught seafood. As a result, vegetarians and vegans are particularly susceptible to B12 deficiency, and this is one possible reason why vegans are almost twice as likely to suffer from depression as meat eaters, even after adjusting for variables such as work status, family history, and number of children. .7
It is well known that people with vitamin B12 deficiency have a higher risk of depression.8 in part may be due to changes in DNA methylation levels in the brain, leading to impaired neurological function.9 Vitamin B12 also helps regulate homocysteine levels, and increased homocysteine has been linked to B12 deficiency as well as depression.
Folate, vitamin B12 suggested to treat depression
Reviewing extensive research on the link between depression and low levels of vitamin B12 and folate, researchers from the MRC Neuropsychiatric Research Laboratory in Epsom, Surrey, UK, suggest that folate and Vitamin B12 should be considered in the treatment of depression.
They note: “On the basis of current data, we suggest that oral doses of both folic acid (800 mcg daily) and vitamin B12 (1,000 mcg daily) improve outcomes in depression.ten
Folic acid is the synthetic version of folate, or vitamin B9, and although it may have a role in treating depression, the best way to increase your levels is to eat foods rich in folate, for example. like asparagus, avocado, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and spinach. On why folate and vitamin B12 are important for mental health, they explain:11
“Folate and vitamin B12 are key determinants of the one-carbon metabolism in which S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is formed. SAM donates methyl groups that are important for neuronal function. Elevated plasma homocysteine is a functional marker of both folate and vitamin B12 deficiency. Increased homocysteine levels are found in depressed patients”.
Children with depression have ‘Significantly high’ Homocysteine levels
The link between low vitamin B12 and increased homocysteine levels is remarkable, as prominent research shows “significantly high” homocysteine levels in depressed children and adolescents.
“Increased homocysteine increases intracellular calcium flow through NMDA [N-methyl D-aspartic acid] receptor activation pathway. In the cell, oxidative stress is increased and apoptotic signals are activated. The researchers note that elevated homocysteine causes DNA damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and endoplasmic reticulum stress.twelfth
Separate research also found higher homocysteine levels with increased rates of depression and anxiety in 12- and 13-year-old boys in Taiwan.13 Higher homocysteine levels, along with significantly lower levels of vitamin B12 and vitamin D, have also been linked to other mental health conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, where it is thought to be role in disease.14
Homocysteine is an amino acid in your body and blood obtained mainly from the consumption of meat. Vitamins B6, B9 and B12 help convert homocysteine into methionine – a building block of protein. If you don’t get enough of these B vitamins, this conversion will be impaired and lead to higher homocysteine. Conversely, when you increase your intake of B6, folate, and B12, your homocysteine levels drop.
Therefore, checking your homocysteine levels is a great way to identify vitamin B6, folate, and B12 deficiencies. The researchers also note that “vitamin deficiencies and elevated homocysteine should be investigated for a cause-and-effect relationship” for depression in young adults, especially because depression may be contributing to anorexia and erratic eating habits.
Vitamin D levels are also low in young adults with depression
Ordu University researchers also found low vitamin D levels in children and adolescents with depression, a link that has been revealed in the past. In the study, the depressed group had an average vitamin D level of 11 ng/ml, compared with 24.85 ng/ml in the control group. Both of these values are low, but 11 ng/ml is dangerously low and will completely increase the risk of rickets.
It is important to note that for optimal health and disease prevention, levels between 60 and 80 ng/mL (150 to 200 nm/L) appear to be ideal, so all participants studies were all very low by this measure. Vitamin D receptors exist in the human brain,15 hints at the importance of this vitamin for mental and emotional health.
It is believed that vitamin D regulates more than 200 different genes by binding to vitamin D receptors responsible for driving a number of biological processes.16 In fact, low levels of vitamin D have been linked to a number of psychological disorders, including anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.
It may affect psychological health in a number of ways, including by regulating inflammation, modulating free radical-fighting proteins, and increasing the synthesis of brain-derived neurotrophic factors. , may play a role in schizophrenia.
Writing in the journal Children, Dr. Joy Weydert of the department of pediatrics at the University of Kansas Medical Center explains, “Vitamin D deficiency reduces the expression of the enzyme catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT), which is essential for metabolism. dopamine and serotonin. ”17 Furthermore, adolescents with low vitamin D levels had improved depressive symptoms after vitamin D supplementation.18
Vitamin D deficiency in children is “very common,”19 and children, as well as adults, should get regular sun exposure or vitamin D3 supplements to ensure their levels are at optimal levels. It’s important to note that vitamin D supplements must be balanced with other nutrients, specifically vitamin K2 (to avoid complications related to excessive calcification in your arteries), calcium, and magnesium. .
The best way to gauge if and how much you may need to supplement is to check your levels, ideally twice a year, in early spring and early fall when your levels are low. and top. Optimizing vitamin D levels could be a simple way to dramatically improve mental health. As noted in Issues in Mental Health Nursing:20
“The effective detection and treatment of inadequate vitamin D levels in people with depression and other psychiatric disorders could represent an easy and cost-effective therapy that can improve health outcomes. long-term health as well as the patient’s quality of life.”
After checking your vitamin D levels, you can use the Vitamin D Calculator developed by GrassRootsHealth to determine your ideal vitamin D dosage.
Poor diet is linked to depression; A healthy diet fixes it
It’s been proven time and time again that what you eat affects your mental health, and this is certainly true among teenagers. Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham looked at the role of two dietary factors in depressive symptoms in adolescents, in this case African-American adolescents who may be at risk increased risk of both an unhealthy diet and depression.
They analyzed urinary sodium and potassium excretion in 84 urban, low-income adolescents. Higher levels of sodium in the urine can be a sign of a high-sodium diet, such as processed fast foods and salty snacks. Meanwhile, low potassium levels are a sign of a diet lacking in fruits, vegetables, and other healthy potassium-rich foods.
As expected, higher rates of sodium excretion and lower potassium were associated with more frequent depressive symptoms at follow-up 1.5 years later.21 Previous studies have also confirmed a link between diet and depression in children and adolescents.
When researchers systematically reviewed 12 studies involving children and adolescents, a link was revealed between an unhealthy diet and poorer mental health, as well as between a good quality diet and better mental health.22
Likewise, researchers from Macquarie University, Australia, studied 76 students between the ages of 17 and 35 who followed a poor diet and had moderate depressive symptoms. moderate to high.23 A group of participants were asked to improve their diets by cutting down on refined carbohydrates, sugar, processed meats, and soft drinks, and eating more vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and whole grains. seeds, healthy fats, and anti-inflammatory spices like turmeric and cinnamon.24
After just three weeks of eating healthier, those in the healthy diet group had significant improvements in their mood and their depression scores were even within the normal range. Although teens and young adults are not always known for making healthy food choices, this is an important period in which lifelong healthy eating patterns are established.
Making sure teens eat healthy foods rich in folate and vitamin B12, as well as optimize their vitamin D levels, can go a long way toward promoting mental health and avoiding conditions like depression .
If a child or teen is struggling with depression, eating food is just as important. In addition to limiting your intake of processed foods, fast foods, and sweets, including sugar-sweetened beverages, increase your consumption of foods rich in omega-3 fats, such as sardines and wild-caught salmon. should be encouraged, however.
