A review of 209 clinical trials identified supplements with strong evidence for treating depression symptoms, including St. John’s wort and probiotics.
For years, Stacey Stevens felt trapped in what she described as wanting to “unzip from her skin”—a darkness so consuming she didn’t want to exist. The solution that finally lifted her depression wasn’t found in a psychiatrist’s office or on a prescription pad, but in the form of probiotics.
“I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to go anywhere. I didn’t want to talk to anybody,” she described her former self to The Epoch Times. “The hopelessness surrounded me. It was dark, and I really didn’t like myself because I was in such a bad place.”
Stevens’ story isn’t unique. Many are turning to readily available solutions for their depression, and for good reason.
After analyzing more than 25,000 studies, researchers have identified five over-the-counter products that perform as well as prescription antidepressants in clinical trials—a finding that may change how people think about naturally treating one of the most common mental health conditions affecting 21 million American adults.
The Science Behind Natural Depression Treatments
A systematic review published in Frontiers in Pharmacology analyzed and categorized clinical evidence for 64 products, finding five to be highly effective and many others showing promise. From an original pool of more than 25,000 studies and papers, researchers narrowed their focus to 209 clinical trials in which adults aged 18 to 60 took a product for more than one week for depression.
The intent of the review was to help consumers separate fact from fiction about herbal remedies for depression, particularly in a social media landscape where content can exaggerate a single study regardless of merit, according to Rachael Frost, lead author of the study and senior lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University.
“I really wanted to map the landscape for the products that are out there in terms of where the evidence is and what we have a bit more confidence in, and where we need to focus future research efforts,” she told The Epoch Times.
Product Landscape
Products with substantive evidence were omega-3s, St. John’s Wort, probiotics, saffron, and vitamin D. St. John’s wort and saffron outperformed placebos, with results similar to prescription antidepressants. Probiotics and vitamin D were also more likely to reduce depressive symptoms than placebos.
By Amy Denney
