This weekend, I read an article that claimed people who eat spinach, peas, lentils, asparagus, beet leaves, chard, parsley, veal liver and broccoli often are less depressed. Their reason is simple. These foods are excellent sources of folic acid (vitamin B9), and experts have found that it can beat depression.

The article talked about two studies, one study was conducted at the University of Oxford, where researchers examined the impact of folic acid on depression in young people, and the second at the University of Bangor in North Wales, researchers studied the influence of adults diagnosed with depression.

Experts found that a third of people who suffer from depression have low levels of folate in the body. The higher the deficit was, the stronger the symptoms of depression. During this study, they also found that men with deficient folate were less responsive to antidepressants.

All study participants were administered portions of pills instead of the above vegetables. With 20 percent of the participants noted a reduction of depressive symptoms after increasing amounts of vitamin B9 in the body.

Does anyone have lived experience with this?  Has it helped you, what other foods are high in folic acid that may help? Thoughts?

Brian