The multibillion-dollar market for dietary supplements is filled with products that claim to boost mood or improve depression. Some products are even billed as an alternative to prescription antidepressants.
Don’t believe everything you read on a label. Often the claims made by supplement manufacturers aren’t backed up by solid scientific evidence, and the potency and contents of supplements can vary widely. (Some are anything but “natural.”) Serious depression generally requires professional help, whether or not that includes antidepressant medication.
That said, some supplements—such as St. John’s wort and SAMe (pronounced “sammy”)—have been tested fairly extensively and may improve your symptoms if you experience mild depression or related conditions such as seasonal affective disorder.
Below, we break down the evidence (or lack thereof) supporting the most popular supplements used to treat depression and mood.
Folic acid
What it is: The synthetic form of folate, a B vitamin (B9) found in fruits, leafy vegetables, and other foods, that affects the neurotransmitters known as monoamines. Folic acid is sold in stores as a capsule or tablet.
The evidence: Folate deficiency is common among depressed people, especially those who don’t respond to antidepressants. Folic acid has never been tested as a stand-alone treatment for depression, but it has been compared with placebo as an addition to Prozac. In one study, patients who received folic acid responded better than those who received placebo—but only the female patients. Nearly 95% of the women who received folic acid responded to the combo treatment, compared to about 60% of the women who received the placebo.
Other forms of folate that are more chemically complex have been tested on their own. In one early ‘90s study involving elderly depressed patients, a type of folate known as 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) was found to be roughly as effective as the antidepressant trazodone.
The bottom line: The evidence for the use of folic acid in depression is limited and inconclusive. (The Natural Standard Research Collaboration, an independent research group, has given the evidence a “C” grade.) 5-MTHF and a related form of folate called L-methylfolate—which is available as the “prescription medical food” Deplin—may be helpful as an addition to antidepressants, but you should be wary of nonprescription products that list 5-MTHF, L-methylfolate, or “optimized folate” as the main ingredient.
GABA
What it is: Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter involved in inhibition and stress relief. GABA is sold as a capsule, pill, or powder.
The evidence: Low GABA levels have been linked to depression and anxiety. Although supplement makers claim on their labels that GABA provides “Positive Mood Support” and “Supports a Calm Mood,” there is no evidence that GABA supplements have an effect on depressive symptoms; no studies have been conducted in humans to date.
The evidence for its use in anxiety isn’t much stronger. A pair of small studies conducted by a maker of GABA supplements in Japan reported that GABA did have an anti-anxiety effect. In the first study, the researchers found that taking GABA had a relaxing effect on brain waves. In the second, people afraid of heights were asked to walk across a narrow pedestrian bridge after taking GABA or a placebo. The participants who took GABA had lower levels of anxiety (as measured by a stress marker in saliva samples).
The bottom line: A connection between naturally occurring GABA and depression and anxiety has been established. Although prescription medications such as Depakote (an anticonvulsant used to treat bipolar disorder) and benzodiazepines (used to treat anxiety) affect GABA levels, there is very little evidence that commercial GABA supplements impact mood in the same manner.
Next page: Inositol, Omega-3s, and Saffron
Comments (11)
I beg to differ with your opinion that 5HTP l-trytophan does NOT work..It is the ONLY anti-depressive that works for me and many of my clients..I am a nutritional consultant and while it works it does NOT cause any side effects like lethargy or sleepiness..so don;t knock something that works..let people judge for themselves via trial..IT WORKS I PERSONALLY depend on it and it never lets me down!!
I have found that drastic increase of Vit D3 has almost completely eliminated my SAD. I’m surprised that there are no tests on it.
So who is health.com, and where do you get your information from, and is it up to date, as in 2009?
Everyone is out to get a buck on this information highway! So you’re just editors. I’ve had good results with 5htp as well, and recently changed to Gaba, as it addresses certain types of depression, and may also try Inositol. Everyone is different. What does not work for one, may work for another.
Your comments can affect a lot of people
I agree with Tony. This is a very selective and superficial review of research on natural remedies for depression. There are also supplements not mentioned that I find work well for depression. D-Phenylalanine, and tyrosine are amino acids that work well. Most studies of St. John’s Wort by members of the medical profession have used inadequate dosing. 900mg a day is minimum. Doses as high as 2400mg aday have been shown to work as well as Imipramine, which is the research standard, even for moderate and severe forms of depression. Caution should be used with St John’s Wort because it has MAOI properties that can lead to hypertensive crisis and possible stroke if used with certain medications or foods containing high levels of tyramine. Inositol has not been found to be very effective for depression, but many well done studies done in Israel have shown it to be very effective for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) which is not mentioned. 5-HTP and L-tryptophan, are also much better for treating depression than this article would indicate. For 5-HTP, however, again, the dosing may need to be much higher than labels suggest. They should also be taken with a small amount of B-6, niacin, vit. C, and a small amount of carbohydrate. One of the least know treatments for depression is a simple high protein, low carbohydrate diet. Such diets have been found to be as effective as prescription antidepressants, and also help you lose weight and stay in better cardiovascular shape.
So, this was an article about natural remedies that don’t seem to really work?
Bottom Line: Pretty depressing.
I have done extremly well on both 5hpt and Gaba. I noticed a huge difference in both my mood and anxiety. However, it does make me a little sleepy at first but once we adjusted amounts I feel good.. I have a wonderful calmness about me now…
I can honestly say, I’ve tried every single supplement listed here. I was terrified(and couldn’t obtain for awhile)of trying the l-tryptophan. All the other things only made my symptoms WORSE. Well, SAM-E wasn’t bad, but not really good either. The L-tryptophan is THE way to go! I feel like I’ve been reborn. Prayers have been asnwered through this stuff. Plus it’s super cheap compared to many things and NO SIDE EFFECTS whatsoever. What a shame it was listed last, and sort-of maligned in this article. Oh, d3 is a good adjunct as well, but magnesium levels must be maintained or strange things will happen.
I agree that it works also. It has worked for me, but it really depends on what your issues are. If you feel like you’re “under a dark cloud”, then it will probably work. If you’re weepy all the time, something else may be what you need. There’s a book called “The Mood Cure” by Julia Ross that covers this in detail. I also saw this link where there is a discussion on 5-HTP: http://www.webanswers.com/health/alternative-medicine/how-does-5-htp-work-in-the-brain-ee2678
Good luck in your search!
I personally use essential oils as antidepressants, but it’s very important to get a pure one. So far, I think, VIVASAN (Swiss brand) is the best, it’s just not so easy to get. I found one place online that sells them Essential Oil Collection.
I think that nutrition and supplementation can help with many conditions, including depression and manic episodes. Natural juicing ha helped alot .
http://www.jackjuicer.net
I tried a few of these and found SAMe to be excellent. After a lifetime of unexplainable ups and downs and trying various supplements, SAMe seemed to have a permanent, lasting effect. I have been able to stop SAMe for a long time and am fine.