St John’s wort is as effective as an antidepressant

St John’s wort really does ease mild depression and can be just as effective as antidepressant drugs, a major review has discovered.

Saffron, probiotics and vitamin D supplements can also help, but there’s very little evidence to support the other 60 or so over-the-counter (OTC) products, say researchers from Liverpool John Moores University.

They looked for clinical evidence on 64 OTC remedies for depression, and 18 showed some ‘promising’ evidence.  Aside from St John’s wort and saffron, which had strong evidence of their effectiveness, they included folic acid, lavender, zinc, tryptophan, rhodiola, and lemon balm.

Bitter orange, Persian lavender, and chamomile tea also showed positive effects in several trials, while products that are gaining in popularity, such as melatonin, magnesium, and curcumin, showed mixed effects.

The jury’s also out on folic acid, cinnamon, echium, vitamin C, and a combination of vitamin D plus calcium. Prebiotics, which support the good bacteria in our gut, and SAMe supplements did not seem to be better than placebo, the researchers said.

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