Studies have linked low levels of folic acid with disturbances in behavior and other problems with nervous system functions. In a review of folic acid in psychiatric disorders studies published between 1967 and 1992, the researchers concluded that low levels of folic acid is very common among individuals admitted to hospitals for emotional behavior. In the studies it was concluded that the mental problems improved with folic acid supplementation. In a recent study patients that had low levels of folic acid had the lowest scores for cognitive functions and when given supplements of folic acid greatly improved their scores in memory tests. A recent study published in Medscape, Dr. Jonathan E. Alpert, MD, PhD, a medical researcher from the Harvard Medical School, discussed the relationship between folic acid and mental health.
Depressive symptoms are the most common neuropsychiatric manifestation of folic acid deficiency.
Recently, low folic acid levels have been linked to poorer antidepressant response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Factors contributing to low serum folic acid levels among depressed patients as well as the circumstances under which folic acid and its derivatives may have a role in antidepressant pharmacotherapy must be further clarified. This data parallels the finding that elevated homocysteine levels are associated with a higher incidence of heart disease. In another study of over 5,000 men and women, those with the lowest concentrations of folic acid in their blood were 69 percent more likely to die of heart disease, compared with those with the highest folic acid concentrations. The importance of homocysteine in relation to heart disease is becoming well known outside of research institutes.