by Real Age

Keeping your spirits up through the winter may be as simple as popping a multivitamin. Just be sure yours contains B6 and B12.

Research has shown that these two nutrients in particular may help reduce the risk of blue moods. Who knew that popping a pill could help keep a smile on your face?

Some Kind of Synthesis
In a study tracking the health and lifestyle habits of more than 3,000 older adults for 7 years, researchers found that as people’s intake of B6 and B12 went up, their risk of depression took a more southerly turn. And with every 10-milligram increase in B6 and 10-microgram increase in B12 intake, risk for depression dropped another 2 percent. Researchers suspect that because B6 is involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters, it assists in production of mood-lifting serotonin. And B12 deficiencies have been linked to depression and increased cognitive decline in other research. (Not a pill popper? Here’s a food that can help you get happy.)

B on the Brain
Although intake from both food and supplements was measured, it seemed that only the supplement form produced significant influence over mood in the study. Researchers suspect it may simply be because the food form of the vitamins is not as readily absorbed by the body as the pill form is. Check out some other great things that B vitamins do for your bod:

• They tell colon and rectal cancers to stay away. Here’s a fruit that fits the bill.
• They scare away strokes. Find out what B vitamins do the trick.
• They safeguard your sight. Discover the B threesome that helps stave off macular degeneration.

Find out what foods contain B6 and B12.

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