Facilitates the regulation of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine.
Folic acid is the synthetic form of vitamin folate and is present in artificially enriched foods, and in vitamins.
As many as 70% of patients with depression have a MTHFR polymorphism and require additional CNS L-methylfolate.
Patients with MTHFR polymorphism have reduced CNS L-methylfolate and are 4 times more likely to develop depression.
Depressed individuals with low CNS L-methylfolate are 6 fold less likely to respond to antidepressant agents and 13 times more likely to relapse.
Low levels of CNS L-methylfolate seen with advancing age, excessive use of alcohol, poor nutrition, smoking, diabetes, Atrophic gastritis, inflammatory bowel disease, gastric bypass surgery and hypothyroidism.
Medications associated with reduced CNS L-methylfolate include: anticonvulsants, methotrexate, metformin, contraceptives, niacin, fenofibrates, fluoxetine and warfarin.