A double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (1992; 11(2): 159–163) examined the effects of B-vitamin supplementation in geriatric patients with depression. Participants received either a placebo or a supplement providing thiamin, riboflavin, and pyridoxine (10 mg/day of each).
Patients receiving the B-vitamin supplement demonstrated improvements in depression rating scores and cognitive function compared with the placebo group. Supplementation also appeared to enhance the effects of antidepressant medications already being used by participants.
Notably, vitamin B12 levels increased in the treatment group, despite B12 not being included in the supplement. No such change was observed in the placebo group. This finding suggests that improving overall B-vitamin status may indirectly support vitamin B12 metabolism or utilization in older adults.
