Journal of Human Psychopharmacology-Clinical and Experimental reported significant support for the use of supplements hypothesized to alter brain activity levels in the prevention or treatment of mood disorders.

Experts stated that the careful balance between excitatory neurons, which carry information, and inhibitory ones, which control hyperactive behaviour, is essential for the brain′s capacity to function. Recent theories have connected mood disorders and other neuropsychiatric illnesses with disruption of this balance, frequently in the direction of increasing levels of brain activity. 

The focus of the current study was on the potential role of vitamin B6, which is known to facilitate the body′s manufacture of GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid), an agent that suppresses impulses between brain nerve cells.

The present study included more than 300 participants who were divided into groups and given a choice between taking one vitamin B6 or B12 supplement daily with meals for a month, which is much more than the daily advised dosage (about 50 times the recommended daily consumption).

Results from the visual examinations revealed that those who had taken vitamin B6 supplements had greater GABA levels; supporting the idea that vitamin B6 was the reason for the anxiety reduction. Minor, safe fluctuations in the visual performance were consistent with controlled levels of brain activation. According to the study, vitamin B12 had no effect during the experiment when compared to a placebo, but vitamin B6 caused a statistically significant difference.

To make a viable option, for enhancing mental wellness, more research is required which will enable different dietary interventions to be combined in the future to provide even better results. (Hindustan Times, Jul 25, 2022)