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US scientists say folic acid supplements may cut the risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. The team looked at health records for 866,586 patients, including records of supplement prescriptions, and compared those who were prescribed folic acid with people who were prescribed another supplement, vitamin B12. Overall, they found there were 261 suicides among those on a current folic acid prescription, compared with 895 suicides during months without any folic acid. Further analysis revealed a 5% decrease in suicidal events per month of additional folic acid supplementation. Looking at the results for vitamin B12, there was no link with suicide attempts, the researchers say. While this kind of study cannot establish cause and effect, the team says that if the findings are confirmed in further trials, folic acid may be a safe, inexpensive, and widely available treatment for suicidal thoughts and attempts.
// University of Chicago |