Depression
NUTRITION PLAYS IMPORTANT ROLE IN PREVENTION OF DEPRESSION – (10-15-03)
Dietary Folate and Depressive Symptoms Are Associated
The authors of this study conclude that “nutrition may have a role in the prevention of depression.” While the impact of nutritional status and psychological health is well established in the medical literature, it’s clinical use is still a rarity. And consider this, if a patient presents to his/her PCP with symptoms consistent with depressive disorder that may have a folate deficiency as a major contributing factor and the patient is put on SSRIs, what about the long term consequences of missing a folic acid deficiency??
This list could include certain types of cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Considering the incredibly low costs of folic acid supplementation compared to all of the psychoactive drugs, might a clinician utilize folic acid as a first approach?
nutrition.org — Abstracts: Tolmunen et al. 133 (10): 3233
