Lack of folic acid can cause depression

According to a British study, people with depression have lower levels of folic acid in their blood than others.

Folic acid, also known as B9, is often recommended in pregnant women to prevent fetal defects, especially spina bifida. B9 is also known to help protect memory and prevent myocardial infarction.

To reach this conclusion, Dr. Simon Gilbody and colleagues at York University collected data from 11 studies involving 15,315 people to find out the relationship between folic acid and depression.

The results showed that those with the lowest folic acid levels had a 55% increased risk of depression. People with depression also have lower levels of folic acid than others.

Fatty goose liver is the most abundant source of folic acid. Folic acid is also found in sheep liver, calf liver, green leafy vegetables and cereal grains.