Effects of Vitamin B12 Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Depressive Symptoms, and Fatigue: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression
Vitamin B12 is often used to improve cognitive function, depressive symptoms, and fatigue. In most cases, such complaints are not associated with overt vitamin B12 deficiency or advanced neurological disorders and the effectiveness of vitamin B12 supplementation in such cases is uncertain. The aim o...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/3/923 |
| _version_ | 1797541507349086208 |
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| author | Stefan Markun Isaac Gravestock Levy Jäger Thomas Rosemann Giuseppe Pichierri Jakob M. Burgstaller |
| author_facet | Stefan Markun Isaac Gravestock Levy Jäger Thomas Rosemann Giuseppe Pichierri Jakob M. Burgstaller |
| author_sort | Stefan Markun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vitamin B12 is often used to improve cognitive function, depressive symptoms, and fatigue. In most cases, such complaints are not associated with overt vitamin B12 deficiency or advanced neurological disorders and the effectiveness of vitamin B12 supplementation in such cases is uncertain. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is to assess the effects of vitamin B12 alone (B12 alone), in addition to vitamin B12 and folic acid with or without vitamin B6 (B complex) on cognitive function, depressive symptoms, and idiopathic fatigue in patients without advanced neurological disorders or overt vitamin B12 deficiency. Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, Cochrane Library, and Scopus were searched. A total of 16 RCTs with 6276 participants were included. Regarding cognitive function outcomes, we found no evidence for an effect of B12 alone or B complex supplementation on any subdomain of cognitive function outcomes. Further, meta-regression showed no significant associations of treatment effects with any of the potential predictors. We also found no overall effect of vitamin supplementation on measures of depression. Further, only one study reported effects on idiopathic fatigue, and therefore, no analysis was possible. Vitamin B12 supplementation is likely ineffective for improving cognitive function and depressive symptoms in patients without advanced neurological disorders. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:17:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-096dcd931682465ebf133ecccdc1cd70 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:17:03Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-096dcd931682465ebf133ecccdc1cd702023-11-21T10:17:15ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432021-03-0113392310.3390/nu13030923Effects of Vitamin B12 Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Depressive Symptoms, and Fatigue: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-RegressionStefan Markun0Isaac Gravestock1Levy Jäger2Thomas Rosemann3Giuseppe Pichierri4Jakob M. Burgstaller5Institute of Primary Care, University and University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, SwitzerlandHorten Centre for Patient Oriented Research and Knowledge Transfer, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Primary Care, University and University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Primary Care, University and University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Primary Care, University and University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Primary Care, University and University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, SwitzerlandVitamin B12 is often used to improve cognitive function, depressive symptoms, and fatigue. In most cases, such complaints are not associated with overt vitamin B12 deficiency or advanced neurological disorders and the effectiveness of vitamin B12 supplementation in such cases is uncertain. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is to assess the effects of vitamin B12 alone (B12 alone), in addition to vitamin B12 and folic acid with or without vitamin B6 (B complex) on cognitive function, depressive symptoms, and idiopathic fatigue in patients without advanced neurological disorders or overt vitamin B12 deficiency. Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, Cochrane Library, and Scopus were searched. A total of 16 RCTs with 6276 participants were included. Regarding cognitive function outcomes, we found no evidence for an effect of B12 alone or B complex supplementation on any subdomain of cognitive function outcomes. Further, meta-regression showed no significant associations of treatment effects with any of the potential predictors. We also found no overall effect of vitamin supplementation on measures of depression. Further, only one study reported effects on idiopathic fatigue, and therefore, no analysis was possible. Vitamin B12 supplementation is likely ineffective for improving cognitive function and depressive symptoms in patients without advanced neurological disorders.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/3/923vitamin B12cognitive functiondepressive symptomsfatigueRCTmeta-analysis |
| spellingShingle | Stefan Markun Isaac Gravestock Levy Jäger Thomas Rosemann Giuseppe Pichierri Jakob M. Burgstaller Effects of Vitamin B12 Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Depressive Symptoms, and Fatigue: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression Nutrients vitamin B12 cognitive function depressive symptoms fatigue RCT meta-analysis |
| title | Effects of Vitamin B12 Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Depressive Symptoms, and Fatigue: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression |
| title_full | Effects of Vitamin B12 Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Depressive Symptoms, and Fatigue: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Vitamin B12 Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Depressive Symptoms, and Fatigue: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Vitamin B12 Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Depressive Symptoms, and Fatigue: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression |
| title_short | Effects of Vitamin B12 Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Depressive Symptoms, and Fatigue: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression |
| title_sort | effects of vitamin b12 supplementation on cognitive function depressive symptoms and fatigue a systematic review meta analysis and meta regression |
| topic | vitamin B12 cognitive function depressive symptoms fatigue RCT meta-analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/3/923 |
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