Could the pregnancy vitamin help men beat depression?

A vitamin used to lower the risk of birth defects may also be an effective treatment for depression.

Research shows that men with high levels of folate in their diets were up to 50 per cent less likely to have symptoms of depression than those with the lowest amounts.

Now a 1million clinical trial is under way in Britain looking at whether giving folate can help tackle the condition by boosting the effects of drug treatment.

Folate, one of the B vitamins, is found naturally in some foods, including leafy vegetables, beans, citrus fruits and wholegrains.

As a supplement, folic acid - the synthetic form of the vitamin - has been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of birth defects.

Research shows it can lower the chances of neural tube defects, including spina bifida, where the spine is incorrectly developed, by up to 70 per cent.

The vitamin is involved in the process of making healthy new cells. Both adults and children need folate to make normal red blood cells and prevent anaemia.

One in five people experience depression at some point, but scientists say only half of those treated with antidepressants will get better; and many others experience symptoms for long periods.

Now researchers have found that the more folate in the diet, the less severe the symptoms of depression.

Symptoms can include low mood, irritability, loss of selfconfidence, lack of energy, insomnia and low libido.

A study by the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Japan found that men with the highest folate levels had 50 per cent fewer symptoms of depression compared to those with the least amounts in their diets.

A second study, at the Centre de Recherche de Jouyen- Josas, in France, found folate protected against recurrent bouts of depression in men over an eight-year period.

A third study, at the University of Kuopio, in Finland, based on 2,682 men aged 42 to 60, found that those with the lowest levels of folate had a 67 per cent higher risk of being depressed than those who had the highest.

The risk remained the same after taking into account smoking habits, alcohol consumption, appetite, weight, marital status, education and total fat consumption.

"These results indicate that nutrition may have a role in the prevention of depression," said the researchers.

Smaller studies have also found a protective effect for women. Some research suggests folate may boost the effects of drug therapy when used with antidepressants.

In the new study - being conducted by the University of Wales - groups of men and women will be given daily folate supplements.

"Low levels of folate, caused by poor diet, may worsen or even cause depression, and may stop antidepressants from working as well as they should," say the researchers.

"This means that taking folate tablets could help treat depression."

In the study, more than 700 patients with moderate to severe depression referred to the trial by their GP or psychiatrist are getting either a 5mg folate tablet or a dummy tablet each day for three months in addition to their antidepressant.

Just how folate could work is not clear. One theory is that it has a beneficial effect on brain chemicals.

Another theory is that low levels of folate result in the build-up of homocysteine, an amino acid which is produced in the body. Higher levels of this have been associated with increased symptoms of depression.

The Foods Standards Agency says people should be able to get the folate they need from eating a varied and balanced diet, without taking supplements.

In April 2007, foster mother Eunice Spry was sentenced to 14 years in prison for her sadistic abuse of children in her care. The details of her cruelty - beating youngsters with metal bars, forcing sticks down their throats and forcing them to eat lard, bleach and vomit - were so appalling that they shocked the country. Here is one woman's story...

Official Rules QQ music Yuanwangshu New Year activities for the time: now until February 18, 2008. The event is open to all users to participate in the QQ, QQ during each user can be given free access to diving custody tree nutrition diving props, props not receive, in the activities after landing pages can be used to enter the process . Green drilling ordinary users and users receive details are as follows (the following props presented on the use of effective, the use of non-cumulative):

Green drilling user: receive super diving equipment every day, one by one the number one.

During the opening of new drilling or Renewal Green, a one-time gift value 4Q coins super diving equipment 10 (props presented only in the pages of the activities launched to pay or Renewal QB Green drilling users), the effective duration of the event are. Have props circumstances, QQ will start the game after landing, the game diving access to nutrition, access to nutrition Yuanwangshu after propagated in the form. Free opportunities can be purchased by the latter to continue to participate in activities diving props, props details of the purchase price as follows (super diving equipment will greatly improve your nutrition to the velocity, resulting in a specified time, the more nutritional value):

General diving equipment: Each coin 0.3 Q, Q 2 coins 10 (6.6%) super diving equipment: Each coin 0.5 Q, 4 Q coin 10 (8%). According to users upbringing Yuanwangshu escalation of the event set up a number of prizes: First weight: digital quality awards will be Yuanwangshu support to the highest level that have access to Canon digital cameras, MP3 ipod and prizes, including the Patriot, digital camera is in the process of upgrading sent Yuanwangshu lucky characters dollar, the full convertibility can be a happy New Year Horse. The second tier: Star Award collection, including many of the signatures of star CD, signed posters, costumes space and space idols such as badges. Depending on your choice of adoption, stars, in the upbringing of Yuanwangshu is in the process of upgrading access to the star corresponding prizes. Third weight: Q version of the Award, including the QB, QQ backpack, T-shirt commemorating QQ music QQ characteristics, such as commemorative prizes, in the process of upgrading Yuanwangshu random out! Personal information will be immediately notified winning, the overall list of winners in the end we will be within 3 days after publication! Fourth weight: Green drilling Lunar New Year Award, a QQ number for a Yuanwangshu, to develop after receiving repeated, in accordance with the growth of cumulative Yuanwangshu a gardener list. Top 100 users will be the longest one in the free Green drilling aristocracy eligible. Close browser window can withdraw from activities, the activities of your data and background information will be preserved, we recommend that you Preservation of pages link from the current progress to the next game. Prizes in the QQ online coupons, QZONE coupons, Yellow drilling experience, diving props, nutrition values will give real-time; QB will be directly after the reunification of recharge to your winning numbers; Green was drilling discount coupons within 31 days from the date of effective access to digital cameras, ipod, in kind, such as toy prizes users must notify the winners in the completed pages to send personal information. Our customer service staff will first visit to your telephone to determine Write addresses in the 10 working days will be sent prizes. If it is because the individual prizes caused by incomplete information can not be addressed, the loss from users themselves. Tencent customer service phone number 0755-83765566, the interpretation of activities under Tencent. Holders to explain the rules of value growth New Year Yuanwangshu Can send all kinds of New Year gift to help you achieve the wishes of the cartoon of trees. New Year Yuanwangshu growth divided into eight levels, raising Yuanwangshu when necessary nutrient consumption to a certain value, will be upgraded and Yuanwangshu out the wishes of prizes included gift boxes. Grade growth Yuanwangshu refers to receive saplings from the Culture successful experience at different stages. Upgrade needed watering, fertilization and earthing up three kinds of operations, each less nutritional value of the corresponding point in 2000. With Yuanwangshu growth, the higher the grades to need more nutrition, at the same time sending the gift of higher value. Diving equipment Yuanwangshu need to be raising QQ penguins were diving to the bottom access various nutrition, diving equipment is involved in the game to the necessary nutritional items. Equipment-general and two Super differently in different underwater speed, super speed mobile diving equipment can be received within the specified time Yuanwangshu more nutritional value speed up the pace of upgrades. Fortunately word Yuanwangshu upgrade will be randomly sending Happy New Year Horse in a word, all-access collection of the Super Canon digital camera Awards, I wish you the best of luck!

Additional information :

From www.dailymail.co.uk:
Diabetes nutrition national nutrition month food nutrition calorie chart nutrition data nutrition chart nutrition software nutrition.
Nutrition For Dummy is about nutrition, and easy ways to improve the quality of your life, both physically and mentally.
In a report in the journal Nutrition last month, the authors recommended that older people be. No improvement was found in those who took a dummy pill.
Mass nutrition, lesson nutrition plan, maltese nutrition, book nutrition, dummy dummy nutrition nutritio, express nutrition, athlete endurance.
The impact of the other component of the pilot scheme, the nutrition education intervention, is tested with a dummy variable equal to 1 if the household.
Captured and for nutrition only children under the. age of 5 years. household income and the year dummy had a positive. on the education.
Nutrition in its broadest sense is the theme of this new newsletter. once nutrition is officially launched. nutrition hopes to forge a link between.
Nasco artery sections with blockages, Nutrition Cholesterol flip charts. Dummies including General Purpose Training Dummy, Water Rescue.