Translations:Folate/26/en
Some evidence links a shortage of folate with clinical depression. Limited evidence from randomized controlled trials showed using folic acid in addition to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may have benefits. Research found a link between depression and low levels of folate. The exact mechanisms involved in the development of schizophrenia and depression are not entirely clear, but the bioactive folate, methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), a direct target of methyl donors such as S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe), recycles the inactive dihydrobiopterin (BH2) into tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), the necessary cofactor in various steps of monoamine synthesis, including that of dopamine and serotonin. BH4 serves a regulatory role in monoamine neurotransmission and is required to mediate the actions of most antidepressants.