Taking prescription medications for depression
Through extensive research, Nature Made science experts have identified essential nutrients that help meet the nutritional needs of people taking antidepressant medications such as Zoloft®, Prozac®, Lexapro®, or Effexor XR®.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Mental health and physical health are closely related, and vitamins are important to both. Numerous studies indicate that some people suffering from depression may have lower blood levels of B6, B12, Folic Acid, and Vitamin D which are essential to maintaining emotional well-being.1 In one study, Harvard researchers have noted that up to 38% of adults diagnosed with depression have low blood levels of folate.2
B vitamins, including Folic Acid
B vitamins are essential for the production and proper functioning of chemicals in the nervous system. Research has established a link between low mood and the B vitamins (vitamin B6, B12, folic acid). Adequate levels of B12, for instance, are important for healthy nerve function. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines note that persons over 50 have more difficulty absorbing B12 from food and should supplement their intake of this nutrient. Moreover, the elderly are reported to be prone to low moods.3
B vitamins help keep down the levels of homocysteine, an amino acid, in the blood. Some experts believe that elevated levels of homocysteine may affect heart health, so supplementing with vitamin B6, B12, and folic acid to reduce homocysteine levels may be important to maintaining a healthy heart.4 Lowering homocysteine levels has also been linked to healthy bones and cognitive function.
These nutrients are also important in other ways:
- B12, or cobalamin, is essential to the manufacture of DNA and of red blood cells, which take oxygen to other cells.
- Folic acid, or folate, is important to cell division, DNA synthesis, and the development of a fetus’s nervous system.
- B6 aids in the metabolism of many amino acids and the creation of hemoglobin and its ability to carry oxygen, and the functioning of the nervous and immune systems.
Vitamin D
Known as the “sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D is key to calcium absorption and strong bones and teeth, but 40% of the U.S. population gets less than the recommended daily amount of Vitamin D in their diet.5 Recent studies have also strongly associated this vitamin with healthy functioning of the immune system and with maintaining emotional well being.6
Historically, humans got this vitamin primarily through being in the sun, because the ultraviolet rays trigger vitamin D synthesis in the skin. As more and more people work indoors and wear sunscreen outside, however, they may not be getting enough vitamin D the old-fashioned way. As people age, their skin becomes less effective at synthesizing vitamin D from sunlight, while their kidneys may be less able to convert the vitamin to its active hormone form. It's difficult to get all the vitamin D you need through food alone: It is found mostly in fortified milk and cereals, as well as oily fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines.
Studies show, vitamin D supplementation significantly enhanced mood during the winter months when levels of vitamin D are typically low.7 The mechanism of this possible mood-modulating effect is not well understood. It is thought that vitamin D may affect serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is one of the chemicals responsible for positive moods.
- Zoloft® is a registered trademark of Pfizer Inc.
- Lexapro® is a registered trademark of Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Prozac® is a registered trademark of Ely Lilly and Co.
- Effexor XR® is a registered trademark of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
