Phobias & Folic Acid Deficiency

Phobias at their core are anxiety disorders. In the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," specific and social phobias fall under the category of anxiety. The publication defines anxiety as, "the unpleasant experience of fear in the absence of that of which we might be afraid." Phobias are just that -- irrational fear just like is found in other anxiety disorders. As such, when researchers look at external factors such as folic acid and how it pertains to the development of phobias, their research tends to focus on anxiety as a whole.

Behavior and Folic Acid

To better understand the impact of a folate, or folic acid, deficiency on behavior, researchers have often used animal models. One study in particular in 2005 conducted at the National Center for Toxicological Research looked at the offspring of mice that were prenatally folate deprived. The scientists tested both male and female offspring in terms of maze behavior, motor performance and other variables. Their results, which were published in "Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratolog," showed that folate-deficient mice exhibited more anxiety-related behavior than controls, suggesting that folic acid may play a role in development of anxiety disorders.

Folic Acid, Vitamin B-12 and Moods

The role of folic acid and vitamin B-12 deficiency has been well-documented by research and clinically. However, scientists are interested in the role of these compounds in other psychiatric illnesses, especially when the situation is complicated by medical illness. Researchers in Philadelphia looked for correlations between anxiety, depression and other mood disorders and patients with diseases related to blood. Their results, published in "The Psychiatric Clinics of North America" in 2007, suggested that individuals taking medications for certain medical disorders may be at greater risk for mood problems based on the impact of prescription medications on folate and B-12 levels.

Treatment Implications

When looking at the role of folic acid in anxiety, scientists have started to examine how other compounds that are metabolized in similar ways are implicated in the development of mood disorders. In 2003, scientists in Norway examined the role of other 1-carbon metabolites, which is the same way folate is used by the body. They found while these metabolites were connected with depression, they were not significantly associated with anxiety. Their conclusions, which were published in "The Archives of General Psychiatry," suggest that anxiety without comorbid depression is not impacted by compounds associated with folate.

Putting It All Together

Specific disorders such as phobias have not been directly researched in the context of folic acid at the time of this publication. However, the role of folate in mood disorders in general has been validated clinically and by research. Individuals suffering from phobias should discuss vitamins and all treatment options with their physicians and mental-health professionals.