5 Doctor-Approved Supplements to Help Your Mood
These could help with mild depression and anxiety.
A lot of guys are surprised when they ask me if there are supplements they can take instead of prescription mood meds and I say, “Yes.” Many docs recommend prescription medications because they’re so well studied. Supplements are trickier because they don’t have that same amount of backing. Yet there is evidence for some of them. Below are my favorites—with caveats, of course.
Ideally, talk to a doc before taking them to be sure they won’t interact with other meds. And keep in mind that the effects of supplements are milder than those of prescription products. They shouldn’t be used as a strategy to treat severe mental illness without working closely with a psychiatrist. If you have severe depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or suicidal thoughts, some supplements can exacerbate these conditions.
Since supplements aren’t approved by the FDA, scan the label for an NSF, Informed Choice, or other third-party certification; it’s the best way to know if they contain what they say they do. If your mood symptoms are mild, here’s what we know so far about what may help you feel better.
Gregory Scott Brown MD is a board-certified psychiatrist and Men's Health advisor. He is an affiliate faculty member at the University of Texas Dell Medical School and author of The Self-Healing Mind: An Essential Five-Step Practice to Overcoming Anxiety and Depression, and Revitalizing Your Life.
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