One vitamin reduced depression symptoms after a month, but the benefit depended on how participants felt at the start.
Taking a high dose of vitamin B6 for a month reduced depression symptoms in people already experiencing them.
The vitamin helps the brain produce chemical messengers involved in mood regulation.
The findings suggest a potential role for B6 in treating depression, although larger clinical trials are needed.
Depression symptoms improve
Almost 270 adults, mostly young women, took part in the research.
They were randomly assigned to take either 100 mg of vitamin B6, vitamin B12 or a placebo each day for around a month.
Among almost 60 people with at least mild depression symptoms at the start, those taking B6 improved more than those receiving B12 or a placebo.
Average depression scores fell by about 54 percent in the symptomatic B6 group, compared with 24 percent in the placebo group.
The benefit remained after accounting for differences in how severe their symptoms had been at the start.
The findings come from a new analysis of data collected in the same research programme that previously reported reduced anxiety after B6 supplementation.
Brain chemistry and mood
Vitamin B6 supports several processes involved in regulating mood.
Dr David Field, the study’s first author, said:
“Vitamin B6 plays a crucial role in the production of several chemical messengers in the brain, including serotonin and GABA, both of which are central to mood regulation.”
GABA helps restrain nerve cell activity, contributing to the balance between excitation and inhibition in the brain.
Increasing B6 availability could boost their production, potentially explaining the improvement in depression symptoms.
Inflammation may also play a role, potentially affecting both depression and how the body uses B6.
Dose matters
Vitamin B6 occurs naturally in foods including poultry, fish, chickpeas, bananas and fortified cereals.
However, the trial tested a high supplement dose, rather than a change in everyday food intake.
High doses of B6 can cause peripheral nerve damage, so the researchers say supplementation at these doses requires medical supervision.
Larger trials now need to establish the most effective dose, monitor safety and determine whether B6 could help alongside existing depression treatments.
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The study was published in the journal Depression and Anxiety (Field et al., 2026).
