Supplements for mood

Compared by effect and evidence certainty. Cost is not currently assessed, and nothing here is sold to you.

St. John's Wortgrade Bmoderate certainty— effective for mild-to-moderate depression in trials

Safety: contraindicated — St. John's Wort with an SSRI risks serotonin syndrome — do not combine.. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: no major structured gap flagged; review the claim limitations.

Saffrongrade Bmoderate certainty— multiple RCTs show benefit for mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms, comparable to low-dose SSRIs in small trials

Safety: no modeled interaction found; coverage unknown, not proven safe. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: no major structured gap flagged; review the claim limitations.

Ashwagandhagrade Bmoderate certainty— Meta-analysis of 22 studies: ashwagandha supplementation significantly reduced stress, depression, and anxiety scores versus control, with a dose-response relationship observed for stress. One of the more consistent mental-health signals in the ashwagandha literature, though study quality and dosing vary.

Safety: moderate — Ashwagandha with an SSRI may carry additive sedative/serotonergic risk; evidence is limited.. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: no major structured gap flagged; review the claim limitations.

Saffrongrade Bmoderate certainty— Meta-analysis of 21 trials: saffron significantly reduced depression scores (Beck Depression Inventory) and anxiety scores (Beck Anxiety Inventory) versus control, plus improved sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index). Effects on clinician-rated scales (Hamilton scales) and CRP were not significant — self-reported mood benefit is more consistent than clinician-rated or biomarker outcomes.

Safety: no modeled interaction found; coverage unknown, not proven safe. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: no major structured gap flagged; review the claim limitations.

Vitamin Dgrade Clow certainty— small mood benefit, mostly in people who are deficient

Safety: minor — Magnesium is a cofactor in vitamin D metabolism; the two are complementary.. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: studied dose not reported; population bounds not reported; certainty or evidence strength remains limited.

5-HTPgrade Clow certainty— preliminary antidepressant signal; small, lower-quality studies

Safety: serious — 5-HTP raises serotonin; with an SSRI this risks serotonin syndrome. Do not combine without medical supervision.. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: studied dose not reported; population bounds not reported; certainty or evidence strength remains limited.

N-Acetylcysteinegrade Clow certainty— preliminary evidence as an adjunct in some psychiatric conditions; not established as a standalone

Safety: no modeled interaction found; coverage unknown, not proven safe. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: certainty or evidence strength remains limited.

Omega-3grade Cmoderate certainty— small benefit for depressive symptoms, clearest with higher-EPA formulations

Safety: serious — High-dose omega-3 with warfarin may increase bleeding risk.. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: certainty or evidence strength remains limited.

Creatinegrade Clow certainty— emerging evidence as an adjunct for depressive symptoms; trials small

Safety: no modeled interaction found; coverage unknown, not proven safe. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: certainty or evidence strength remains limited.

Zincgrade Clow certainty— may augment antidepressant response; deficiency-correction likely matters

Safety: no modeled interaction found; coverage unknown, not proven safe. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: certainty or evidence strength remains limited.

Probioticsgrade Clow certainty— small effects on mood/anxiety in some "psychobiotic" trials; strain-specific, heterogeneous

Safety: no modeled interaction found; coverage unknown, not proven safe. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: certainty or evidence strength remains limited.

Turmericgrade Clow certainty— curcumin may reduce depressive symptoms as an adjunct; bioavailability-limited

Safety: moderate — High-dose curcumin may have mild antiplatelet effects; caution with warfarin.. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: certainty or evidence strength remains limited.

Ginkgograde Clow certainty— Systematic review and network meta-analysis of herbal anxiolytics: Ginkgo biloba showed a modest anxiety-reducing signal among the herbs assessed, but the evidence base is heterogeneous and of limited certainty.

Safety: serious — Ginkgo has antiplatelet activity; with warfarin it may increase bleeding risk.. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: certainty or evidence strength remains limited.

Melatoningrade Clow certainty— Systematic review: melatonin has been studied as a treatment for mood disorders, with some signal in specific contexts (e.g. seasonal or circadian-related), but overall evidence for a mood benefit is limited and inconsistent.

Safety: uncertain — Melatonin with an SSRI: possible additive sedation; evidence is thin.. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: certainty or evidence strength remains limited.

Lion's Manegrade Dvery-low certainty— Review: Hericium erinaceus (lion's mane) has been reported to have mood and anxiety benefits in small studies, but the clinical evidence is very preliminary and not from large, confirmatory trials.

Safety: no modeled interaction found; coverage unknown, not proven safe. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: certainty or evidence strength remains limited.

Folatestudied, no effectmoderate certainty— Folic acid not recommended for unipolar depression

Safety: no modeled interaction found; coverage unknown, not proven safe. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: studied dose not reported; population bounds not reported; certainty or evidence strength remains limited.

Vitamin Cstudied, no effectmoderate certainty— Not recommended for unipolar depression

Myo-Inositolstudied, no effectmoderate certainty— Not recommended for unipolar depression

Magnesiumstudied, no effectmoderate certainty— Not recommended for unipolar depression

Safety: minor — Generally fine with an SSRI; space about 2 hours apart.. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: studied dose not reported; population bounds not reported; certainty or evidence strength remains limited.

Rhodiolastudied, no effectmoderate certainty— Not recommended for mood disorders

Safety: uncertain — Rhodiola may have mild serotonergic activity; evidence with SSRIs is thin — treat as cautionary.. Cost: not assessed. Evidence gaps: studied dose not reported; population bounds not reported; certainty or evidence strength remains limited.