Effects of high-dose B vitamin complex with vitamin C and minerals on subjective mood and performance in healthy males

Kennedy DO, Veasey R, Watson A

Published in Psychopharmacology

Methodology

Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group trial over 33 days; POMS, Perceived Stress Scale and GHQ-12 plus a 60-minute cognitive demand battery and a 40-minute Stroop task during inclined treadmill walking.

Key Findings

215 employed men aged 30-55 took a high-dose B-complex vitamin and mineral supplement (Berocca) or placebo for 33 days. The supplement group showed significant improvements on the Perceived Stress Scale, the GHQ-12 and the vigour subscale of the Profile of Mood States. They also performed better on the Serial 3s subtraction task and rated themselves as less mentally tired both before and after the 60-minute cognitive demand battery.

Conclusions

Healthy members of the general population may benefit from augmented levels of vitamins/minerals via direct dietary supplementation. Specifically, supplementation led to improved ratings of stress, mental health and vigour and improved cognitive performance during intense mental processing.

Limitations

Healthy employed men aged 30-55 only, 33-day duration, and many mood and cognitive outcomes were measured so some positive findings may be chance; the supplement was a commercial multivitamin product.