SynthesisNutrients2022
Vitamin E, Alpha-Tocopherol, and Its Effects on Depression and Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Nutrients, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
36 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 65 citations in OpenAlex.
- Fish Consumption and the Risk of Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.Nutrients · 2025Pooled it
- Vitamin supplementation and its effect on incident type 1 diabetes mellitus and islet autoimmunity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Pooled it
- Vitamin E intake and multiple health outcomes: an umbrella review.Frontiers in public health · 2023Pooled it
- Vitamin E Intake Modulates the Effect of Selenomethionine on Sexual Function and Depressive Symptoms in Reproductive-Age Women with Euthyroid Autoimmune Thyroiditis: A Pilot Study.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The Therapeutic Home Environment for Chronic Diseases: A Transdisciplinary Ecosystem for Achieving Migraine Freedom and Managing Comorbid Anxiety, Insomnia, and Chronic Pain.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Consequences of Western and Mediterranean Diets' Nutrients on the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Oxidative degradation of alpha-tocopherol by reactive oxygen species, identifying products, and product anticancer activity.BMC chemistry · 2025Article
- Causal Influences of Micronutrients on Anxiety: Insights From an Observational and Mendelian Randomization Analysis.Food science & nutrition · 2025Article
- The Role of Various Types of Diets in the Treatments of Depressive Disorders.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Review
- Phytochemical and Bioactivity Profiling of Unconventional Food Plant,Food science & nutrition · 2025Article
- Associations between antioxidant vitamin intake and mental health in Swedish adolescents: a cross-sectional study.European journal of nutrition · 2025Article
- Effects of a Novel Fortified Dairy Product on the Psychological Status and Sleep Quality of Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.Preventive nutrition and food science · 2025Article
- Development and Evaluation of Non-Antibiotic Growth Promoters for Food Animals.Veterinary sciences · 2024Article
- Article
- A comprehensive foodomics analysis of rambutan seed oils: Focusing on the physicochemical parameters, lipid concomitants and lipid profiles.Food chemistry: X · 2024Article
- Associations Between Cardiovascular Health (Life's Essential 8) and Mental Disorders.Clinical cardiology · 2024Article
- Associations between Chronic Medical Conditions and Persistent Dietary Supplement Use: The US Military Dietary Supplement Use Study.Nutrients · 2024Article
- Vitamin-mediated interaction between the gut microbiome and mitochondria in depression: A systematic review-based integrated perspective.Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2024Review
- Article
- Association of composite dietary antioxidant index with depression and all-cause mortality in middle-aged and elderly population.Scientific reports · 2024Article
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 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRecently, it has been discovered that anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative pathways play a role in depression and anxiety. Lower serum levels of antioxidants, such as vitamin E, have been implicated in both depression and anxiety.
methodsThis PROSPERO-registered systematic review (Reference: CRD42021260058) is reported according to PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were searched from inception to June 2021.
resultsTwelve studies were included in this systematic review, and nine in meta-analysis of vitamin E versus placebo. For depression, meta-analysis of 354 participants showed a standardised mean difference of -0.88 (95% CI: -1.54, -0.21; I2 = 87%) favouring vitamin E. For anxiety, meta-analysis of 306 participants showed a standardised mean difference of -0.86 (95% CI: -2.11, 0.40; I2 = 95%) favouring vitamin E. Three of the studies involved a pure comparison of vitamin E against placebo, while others included constituents such as omega-3 fatty acids. Nine of the studies were at low risk of bias, two had some concerns, and one was at high risk of bias.
conclusionVitamin E supplementation has shown inconclusive results in ameliorating both depression and anxiety. Containing a reassuring safety profile and low cost, future studies would be of promise, and they would benefit from both larger sample sizes and from excluding other constituents, such as omega-3 fatty acids, from experimental and comparator arms.
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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.