Vitamin B6 Supplementation Reduces Symptoms of Depression in College Women Taking Oral Contraceptives: A Randomized, Double-Blind Crossover Trial

Abstract

Oral contraceptive (OC) users have a heightened risk of low plasma concentrations of vitamin B6, a cofactor in the tryptophan-serotonin pathway critical to mood regulation. The purpose of this crossover study was to determine whether vitamin B6 supplementation reduced symptoms of depression and improved mood states in college women using OC. Participants were healthy (aged 18–25 yrs), did not take dietary supplements, and used OC (estrogen with progestin) consistently for at least 1 year. During the 12-week, randomized, double-blind crossover trial (4-week treatment periods [100 mg vitamin B6 daily or placebo] separated by a 4-week washout) participants (n = 8) maintained normal exercise and eating patterns and recorded tablet consumption daily. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Profile of Mood States (POMS) were used to assess mental health before and after each 4-week treatment period. Average dietary vitamin B6 intakes did not vary during the trial (1.2–1.4 mg/d), whereas vitamin B6 status rose significantly following the B6 supplementation period compared to the other three time points. BDI-II scores were reduced 20% by vitamin B6 supplementation in comparison to an 11% rise with placebo ingestion (p = 0.046). POMS scores were not significantly impacted by vitamin B6 supplementation. These preliminary data support a growing literature suggesting the benefits of B6 supplementation for reducing symptoms of depression in young women using OC.

Keywords:

• depression
• mood state
• oral contraceptives
• vitamin B6

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Ginger Hook and Veronica Zamora for their excellent technical assistance.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no external funding. This study was supported in part by the Graduate and Professional Student Association at Arizona State University.

Notes on contributors

Anne C. Curtin

Anne C. Curtin, is a registered dietitian currently working as a lead dietitian in outpatient nutrition counseling. She received both her BS in nutrition and MS in nutritional science from Arizona State University, Phoenix. Her counseling interests are in diabetes management and women’s health with a focus on health at every size. Her research focuses on vitamin B6 supplementation and its impact on depression.

Carol S. Johnston

Carol S. Johnston, is Professor and Associate Dean of Faculty Success, College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University. She received her BS in nutrition from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and her MS in nutrition and PhD in biological sciences from the University of Texas, Austin. She is a registered dietitian, and her research focuses on vitamin C metabolism, the medicinal use of vinegar, high protein/low carbohydrate diets for weight loss, and vegetarian diets.