A new study by scientists at the University of Chicago, United States, found that people prescribed with folic acid treatment, also known as vitamin B9, experienced a 44% reduction in suicidal events and intentional self-harm.

According to the JAMA Psychiatry journal, experts are confident these results can improve efforts to prevent suicide, especially because of how accessible folic acid is.

“Folic acid has no real side effects. It is not too expensive. It’s available over the counter, and this could potentially save tens of thousands of lives,” scientists said.

Folic acid was associated with a lower risk of suicide, along with antidepressant drugs, anxiolytics and antipsychotics.

Researchers stated that people who take vitamin supplements generally want to improve their health and, therefore, would be less likely to commit suicide.

Specialists cleared up that there is still much to be studied to say with certainty whether folic acid-suicide relation is causal.

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