SynthesisNutrients2021
Effects of Vitamin B12 Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Depressive Symptoms, and Fatigue: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression.
Synthesis in Nutrients, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05931965 (Comparative Efficacy of Antidepressants With L-methylfolate, B12, and Magnesium in Depressive Disorders), which is not on this map. Cited by 45 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Comparative Efficacy of Antidepressants With L-methylfolate, B12, and Magnesium in Depressive Disorders
Who cites it
45 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 105 citations in OpenAlex.
- Fish consumption and cognitive function in aging: a systematic review of observational studies.GeroScience · 2026Pooled it
- A sum of its parts: A systematic review evaluating biopsychosocial and behavioral determinants of perinatal depression.PloS one · 2024Pooled it
- The role of vitamin B12 in viral infections: a comprehensive review of its relationship with the muscle-gut-brain axis and implications for SARS-CoV-2 infection.Nutrition reviews · 2022Pooled it
- Multivitamin Supplementation Improves Memory in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2023Trial
- Methionine, Homocysteine, and Methylation Levels Predict Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer's Disease.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2026Article
- Vitamin BNutrients · 2026Review
- Vitamin D and Vitamin BDiseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENTS FOR FATIGUE IN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE PATIENTS: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW.Arquivos de gastroenterologia · 2026Review
- Associations Between Single and Multiple Vitamins and the Risk of Dental Caries: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study and Mendelian Randomisation Analysis.Oral health & preventive dentistry · 2025Article
- Uncovering Hyperhomocysteinemia: Global Risk Patterns and Molecular Disruption in Brain and Vascular Health.Journal of neurochemistry · 2025Review
- Glycated hemoglobin levels and geriatric depression impact cognitive status in an Indian urban elderly community.IBRO neuroscience reports · 2025Article
- Folic acid as a potential therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's disease: Effects on inflammatory cytokines, amyloid deposition, and neurotransmitter metabolism.Journal of medical biochemistry · 2025Article
- Higher vitamin BAlzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025Article
- Neuronutrition and Nrf2 Brain Resilience Signaling: Epigenomics and Metabolomics for Personalized Medicine in Nervous System Disorders from Bench to Clinic.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Effects of Dietary Interventions on Cognitive Outcomes.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Vitamin D, B9, and B12 Deficiencies as Key Drivers of Clinical Severity and Metabolic Comorbidities in Major Psychiatric Disorders.Nutrients · 2025Article
- Article
- Establishment of age-stratified serum vitamin B6 pyridoxal and pyridoxic acid reference intervals among children aged 1-16 years in Henan, china.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
- Cardiovascular disease and depression: a bidirectional relationship and its clinical implications.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Review
- Vitamin B12 injection plus traditional Chinese medicine techniques for meralgia paresthetica: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
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.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.