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Effect of folic acid supplementation on mood and serotonin response in healthy males

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2007

Emma Williams ,
Barbara Stewart-Knox ,
Ian Bradbury ,
Ian Rowland ,
Kristina Pentieva ,
Anders Helander  and
Helene McNulty
Emma Williams
Affiliation:
Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland
Barbara Stewart-Knox*
Affiliation:
Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland
Ian Bradbury
Affiliation:
School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland
Ian Rowland
Affiliation:
Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland
Kristina Pentieva
Affiliation:
Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland
Anders Helander
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
Helene McNulty
Affiliation:
Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Barbara Stewart-Knox, fax +44 28 70324965, email [email protected]
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Abstract

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Evidence suggests that low folate status may be detrimental to mood and associated with depleted cerebrospinal fluid levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT). A placebo-controlled trial was carried out to determine the effect of folic acid supplementation (100 μg for 6 weeks followed by 200 μg for a further 6 weeks) upon subjective mood (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule) and biochemical markers of mood (5-HT) in healthy males (n 23). Blood samples were obtained at baseline (week 0) and during the intervention at week 6 and week 12. Subjective mood assessments were obtained at week 0 and week 12. The results showed an increase in serum and erythrocyte folate concentrations (P=0·02 and P=0·003, respectively) and a corresponding decrease in plasma homocysteine (P=0·015) in response to the folic acid intervention. Neither subjective mood nor 5-HT levels, however, were significantly altered in response to the change in folate status. Folic acid given at physiological doses did not appear to improve the mood of healthy folate-replete individuals over a 12-week period. Further research is needed to address the effect of folic acid supplementation or of longer duration or increased dose, particularly in the face of sub-optimal folate status.

Keywords

FolateFolic acidMoodPositive and Negative Affect ScheduleSerotoninHomocysteine
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 94 , Issue 4 , October 2005 , pp. 602 - 608
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2005

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