Depression and Mood

Information

This stack page encompasses supplements that are able to treat depression, with focus mostly on those compounds that can confer anti-depressant properties over a long period of time or those with fairly reliable mechanisms.

Some supplements may also be catered towards 'mood'. This does not necessarily refer to antidepressant actions, but more a small boost in well being that is barely noticeable unless the subject had anhedonia initially.

If you are taking antidepressant pharmaceuticals currently, your medical doctor must be informed of any supplements that you plan on adding to your regimen before your purchase of the supplement. It is always possible that supplements and drugs can adversely interact, and your medical doctor should oversee any attempts for combination therapy

Suggested Supplements

• Agmatine
• Zinc
• Fish Oil

Dosage: 6.4mg

6.4mg/kg is the estimated human dose extrapolated from rat research and suggests a dose near maximal efficacy for antidepressive (and anxiolytic) effects; more is not better, and this dose (for a 150lb human) is 435mg. If you are obese, a lower dose (in the 1.6-6.4mg/kg range) may be prudent.

Agmatine appears to be a synergist more than anything, and any antidepressant molecule that seems to work via signalling through receptors and ultimately acting on potassium channels (this includes buproprion, SSRIs, adenosine, imipramine, folic acid, etc.) appears to have its efficacy increased.

Agmatine alone does have antidepressant effects, but they are either comparable to or weaker than the reference drugs that it is compared against (Imipramine, usually).

Dosage: 25

The 25mg dosage refers to elemental zinc (see zinc dosing instructions), and is useful specifically for treatment resistant depression. Beyond that, persons deficient in zinc may have a slight impairment in mood (not necessarily depressive symptoms) and this impairment in mood state is resolved with supplementation of zinc to restore adequate levels.

Dosage: 1,000

Fish oil is effective in reducing depressive symptoms specifically for major depression, and in persons with minor depression or just 'a bad mood' fish oil does not seem to significantly outperform placebo.

The dosage refers to 1,000mg EPA. While doses used in trials vary, that seems to be the ideal target (the overall dose of DHA doesn't matter too much, but should be less than the EPA dosage).

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