A clinical trial has been launched at Oregon University to explore the possibility of calcium supplements reducing the risk of post-natal depression (PND).
PND is a mental illness that can affect new mothers weeks or months after the birth of a child. Most women will experience a period when they feel insecure, anxious sad or vulnerable.
There are a range of possible explanations for the condition, for which 15 per cent of new mothers are treated each year, including, "psychological and social factors such as the demands, obligations and responsibilities of being a mother", said Dr Stephen Collins from netdoctor.co.uk.
The clinical trial in the US is now attempting to see whether there is a link between PND and calcium intake amongst expecting women.
Scientists at Oregon Health and Science University are looking for a cheap but effective remedy for the condition. Following on from an earlier trial conducted at the University which concluded that women who took calcium supplements saw a decrease in blood pressure, the reseaarchers discovered that women taking calcium also reported fewer signs of clinical depression than those on placebos.