Vitamin C Supplementation as an Adjuvant Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a multifactorial disease that can affect patient's quality of life. Low intake of nutrients and antioxidants has been linked to depression. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of adding oral vitamin C to the standard treatment of patients with MDD. Methods: This randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 88 MDD patients referred to psychiatric clinics of the Yazd University of Medical Sciences. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups of vitamin C (500 mg twice a day, n=44) and placebo (n=44) for 8 weeks. Also, The Hamilton depression questionnaire was employed at the baseline, and after 4 and 8-week follow up. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS version 18 software. Results: Out of 88 examined patients, no significant difference was detected regarding mean depression scores at the beginning of the study and also after 4 weeks of treatment (P=0.62 and P= 0.53, respectively). However, people in the vitamin C group revealed a significant improvement in average depression scores compared to those in the placebo group after 8 weeks (P=0.03). Conclusion: The results of the current investigation indicated that vitamin C may act as an effective adjuvant therapy for the treatment of patients suffering from MDD. Future studies are necessary in order to confirm the findings of this study.