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VITAMIN B supplements may help people to fight depression, research suggests. Scientists found that people with depression responded better to treatment if they had high levels of vitamin B12 in their blood.

Scientists suggest taking vitamin B supplements may be a way to boost the effectiveness of anti-depressants. The research, by Kuopio University in Finland, is published in the journal BMC Psychiatry.

The researchers monitored 115 outpatients who were receiving treatment for depression over a six-month period. They measured vitamin B12 levels in the patients' blood when they first came to the clinic, and again at their six-month check up.

The patients who responded fully to treatment had higher concentrations of vitamin B12 in their blood at both the start and the end of the study than those for whom treatment was less effective.

Lead researcher Professor Jukka Hintikka has said that the finding was potentially significant as many people do not respond to anti-depression treatments.

He said it was possible that vitamin B12 was needed to manufacture substances called monoamines. A shortage of these compounds in the central nervous system is thought to be linked to depression.

Professor Hintikka said more work was needed to corroborate the results. "It is still too early to suggest generally that patients should take vitamin B12 or any other vitamin supplements to treat depression."

Another study found people with low levels of the vitamin B12 may have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Vitamin B12 is naturally found in animal foods including fish, milk and milk products, eggs, meat, and poultry.