WEDNESDAY, April 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Certain nutritional supplements may improve the effectiveness of antidepressants, according to research published online April 26 in The American Journal of Psychiatry.
Jerome Sarris, Ph.D., of the ARCADIA Mental Health Research Group at the University of Melbourne in Australia, and colleagues conducted a systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science up to December 2015 for clinical trials using adjunctive nutrients for depression. Where sufficient data were available, the team analyzed the standard mean difference between treatment and placebo.
The researchers found primarily positive results for S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), methylfolate, omega-3 (primarily EPA or ethyl-EPA), and vitamin D. They also found positive isolated studies for creatine, folinic acid, and an amino acid combination. Meta-analysis of adjunctive omega-3 versus placebo indicated a significant and moderate to strong effect for omega-3.
"Current evidence supports adjunctive use of SAMe, methylfolate, omega-3, and vitamin D with antidepressants to reduce depressive symptoms," the authors conclude.
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