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Weil recommends supplementation with 400 mcg per day of folic acid to prevent and
treat mental health conditions. He recommends a comprehensive vitamin and mineral
supplementation program, including B6 and B12 as well as folate.^14
On balance, the data concerning adjunctive use of folate show such a dramatic effect
that people, and especially women, considering or using psychotropic medications may
reasonably wish to discuss the possibility of folate supplementation with the prescribing
physician. No drug interaction has yet been noted by any source between folate and
psychotropic medications, and the remaining risk is low. In the case of SSRI-resistent
depression, folate seems particularly valuable to try, and the risk is low.
- METHYLFOLATE: Mischoulon et al. strongly advocate methylfolate for folate
supplementation, to bypass the conversion process. Brown et al. note that MTHFR genetic
testing can identify individuals most likely to have a better response to supplementation
with methylfolate rather than folic acid.
- SUGGESTED BUT UNPROVEN USE: NEUROPROTECTION: Brown et al. discuss the use of
folate supplementation for cognition and memory disorders, citing the promising (albeit
very preliminary) research linking B vitamins to cognitive performance.^15 In a chapter
authored by Bottiglieri, Brown et al. II discuss the conflicting results of seven trials,
concluding that folate and other B vitamins “may slow the rate of cognitive decline in
subjects less severely affected at baseline.”^16 Thus, folate is a promising treatment for mild
cognitive impairment, but, like ginkgo, may not be effective to prevent or treat
Alzheimer’s dementia. Mischoulon and Rosenbaum recommend methylfolate over folate
as less toxic for older people with mild cognitive impairment because it crosses the blood-
brain barrier.^17 Lake and Spiegel note that higher folate levels correlate with higher scores
on the Mini-Mental State Exam. Berkeley Wellness discusses potential use of folate for
prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment and dementia but asserts, as conceded
by all of the sources, that studies on the effects of taking folic acid have yielded
contradictory findings. B vitamins (B6 and B12 in addition to folate) appear to help with
