Vitamin B9

Does folate help with depression?

Updated 9 Nov 2026

Short answer

There is no evidence for folate on its own: no trial in a 2018 review compared folate alone with placebo. Added to an antidepressant, folic acid below 5 mg a day or L-methylfolate at 15 mg a day showed a benefit, with low-quality evidence.[1] In a UK trial of 475 adults, 5,000 µg of folic acid added to antidepressants did not help. Doses this high are taken only under medical care.[2]

Sources (2)

  1. Caveat emptor: Folate in unipolar depressive illness, a systematic review and meta-analysis. Roberts E, Carter B, Young AH J Psychopharmacol, 2018. PMID 29442609
  2. Folate: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. ods.od.nih.gov

More about vitamin b9

What is vitamin B9?Which foods contain folate?What is vitamin B9 used for?Who is likely to be low in folate?Is vitamin B9 safe?How long does folic acid take to raise folate levels?

For education; not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before you start, stop or change a supplement.