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Impact of Supplementation and Nutritional Interventions on Pathogenic Processes of Mood Disorders: A Review of the Evidence.

Nutrients
January 1, 1970
Cara T Hoepner et al. (3 authors)
Journal ArticleReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate the potential role of Coenzyme Q10 in improving depressive symptoms, particularly as an augmentation to antidepressant therapies.

Results Summary

The study found that Coenzyme Q10, along with other supplements, showed evidence for improving depressive symptoms, though the abstract does not specify the magnitude or consistency of these effects. Potential biases and differences in study designs may confound the results.

Population

Individuals with major depressive disorder or variants, particularly those with inadequate response to antidepressant therapies.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (15)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
L-methylfolate supplementation
decrease
depression
individuals with depression
-
demonstrated antidepressant activity
#1
SAMe supplementation
decrease
depression
individuals with depression
-
demonstrated antidepressant activity
#2
L-acetylcarnitine
decrease
depression
-
-
exert antidepressant effects
#3
alpha-lipoic acid
decrease
depression
-
-
exert antidepressant effects
#4
N-acetylcysteine
decrease
depression
-
-
exert antidepressant effects
#5
L-tryptophan
decrease
depression
-
-
exert antidepressant effects
#6
zinc
decrease
depressive symptoms
-
-
improving depressive symptoms
#7
magnesium
decrease
depressive symptoms
-
-
improving depressive symptoms
#8
omega-3 fatty acids
decrease
depressive symptoms
-
-
improving depressive symptoms
#9
coenzyme Q10
decrease
depressive symptoms
-
-
improving depressive symptoms
#10
abnormal levels of folate
increase
depression
-
-
associated with a higher risk
#11
abnormal levels of homocysteine
increase
depression
-
-
associated with a higher risk
#12
abnormal levels of SAMe
increase
depression
-
-
associated with a higher risk
#13
augmentation of antidepressant medications with various supplements
increase
antidepressant effects
-
-
can potentiate antidepressant effects
#14
medical foods, particularly L-methylfolate, and other supplements
decrease
depression
patients with inadequate response to antidepressant therapies
-
may play a role in managing
#15
Abstract

This narrative review was conducted using searches of the PubMed/Medline and Google Scholar databases from inception to November 2019. Clinical trials and relevant articles were identified by cross-referencing major depressive disorder (and/or variants) with the following terms: folate, homocysteine, S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), L-acetylcarnitine, alpha-lipoic acid, N-acetylcysteine, L-tryptophan, zinc, magnesium, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, coenzyme Q10, and inositol. Manual reviews of references were also performed using article reference lists. Abnormal levels of folate, homocysteine, and SAMe have been shown to be associated with a higher risk of depression. Numerous studies have demonstrated antidepressant activity with L-methylfolate and SAMe supplementation in individuals with depression. Additionally, the amino acids L-acetylcarnitine, alpha-lipoic acid, N-acetylcysteine, and L-tryptophan have been implicated in the development of depression and shown to exert antidepressant effects. Other agents with evidence for improving depressive symptoms include zinc, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and coenzyme Q10. Potential biases and differences in study designs within and amongst the studies and reviews selected may confound results. Augmentation of antidepressant medications with various supplements targeting nutritional and physiological factors can potentiate antidepressant effects. Medical foods, particularly L-methylfolate, and other supplements may play a role in managing depression in patients with inadequate response to antidepressant therapies.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdultAntidepressive AgentsCombined Modality TherapyDepressive Disorder, MajorDietary SupplementsFemaleHumansMaleMood DisordersNutrition TherapyRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTrace ElementsVitamins
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy65/10
Quality75/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations26
Citations/Year6.5
Relative Citation Ratio2.88
NIH Percentile84.1%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score1.71
Normalized Score0.61
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