Folate vs Vitamin B6 for mood
Short answer: For mood, users rate them about the same: 87% report improvement with Folate (52 reports) and 91% with Vitamin B6 (33 reports).
Folate has 744 meta-analyses and 1,173 randomized trials on PubMed; Vitamin B6 has 152 and 261.
Based on 286 reports about Folate and 522 about Vitamin B6. Not medical advice.
| Folate Supplement | Vitamin B6 Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 63%helped109 reports · high confidence | 53%helped157 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mixed |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 744 / 1,173 | 152 / 261 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Mood % reporting improvement | 87% (52) | 91% (33) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 91% (23) | 78% (23) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 71% (21) | 64% (22) |
| Hormones % reporting improvement | — | 89% (35) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 57% (7) | 73% (26) |
| Common side effects | insomnia, canker sores, jitteriness, panic attacks | neuropathy, numbness, vivid dreams, anxiety |
| Typical dose reported | 400 mcg / with breakfast | 25 mg / each morning |
This meta-analysis suggests that B vitamin supplementation is associated with slowing of cognitive decline, especially in populations who received early intervention and intervention of long duration; the study also indicates that higher intake of dietary folate, but not B12 or B6, is associated with a reduced risk of incident dementia in non-dementia aged population. Given the prevalence of dementia cases in many countries with aging populations, public health policies should be introduced to ensure that subgroups of the population at risk have an adequate B vitamin status.
Nutr Rev, 2022 ↗“I have been taking methylfolate with methylcobalamin for almost two months now and my prefrontal abilities with respect to planning and stress management have improved dramatically.”
Further, only one study reported effects on idiopathic fatigue, and therefore, no analysis was possible. Vitamin B12 supplementation is likely ineffective for improving cognitive function and depressive symptoms in patients without advanced neurological disorders.
Nutrients, 2021 ↗“But that pain gets significantly better when I take glycine, vitamin C and B6 together.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate