The Missing Element from Everyone’s Diet

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Major depression, one of the most common mental health conditions in the United States, can severely impact an individual’s life. In 2021, 8.3% of Americans has a least one major depressive episode.

If numerous antidepressants are unsuccessful in lifting a patient’s mood, doctors will consider adding a common supplement. L-Methylfolate taken along within an antidepressant can significantly improve mood for depressed individuals.

As reported by Esther French in Clinical Psychiatry News, nearly twenty percent of patients who receive 7.5 to 15 mg of L-Methylfolate along with an antidepressant saw a two point drop in their Clinical Global Impression Severity (CGI-S) scores.

As early as 2011, doctors were aware of the potential benefits of this supplement. Folate is essential for producing serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine but many adults lack enough of this intrinsic nutrient.

Almost seventy percent of patients with a major depressive disorder have a genetic inability to process folate. Because of variations in the individual’s MTHFR gene, simply adding folate supplements or folate-rich foods to their diet will not necessarily work.

Those who have the MTHF4 variant are not able to convert folic acid into a form the body can use. Fortunately, L-Methylfolate, available by prescription or over the counter, can be added to the diet of those who have this genetic variation.

The process of methylation, adding a metyl group, the nutrient becomes bioavailable. Methylating the folate allows the nutrient to cross the blood-brain barrier and thus produce and regulate the brain’s neurotransmitters.

French, Esther. “L — methylfolate/antidepressant combo beats monotherapy.” Clinical Psychiatry News, vol. 39, no. 5, May 2011, p.13. Gale Health and Wellness, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A258242238/HWRC?u=txshrpub100417&sid=bookmark- HWRC&xid=bf3cdd13. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

“Newly Published Findings Confirm Value of Dietary Management with L-methylfolate in Depression.” Clinical Trials Week, 21 Feb. 2011, p. 200. Gale OneFile: Health and Medicine, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A249516820/HRCA?u=txshrpub100417&sid=bookmark-HRCA&xid=a0ae75d7. Accessed 3 May 2025.