2) Dietary supplements, such as St. John's Wort and SAM-e, can improve your mood?
False. But Dietary supplements are likely to help only mild or moderate emotional problems.
Several clinical trials have shown that two popular supplements-extracts of the herb St. John's wort and SAMe relieve mild depression as effectively as a prescription antidepressant.
However there is no evidence that those products help to tame severe emotional problems; in fact, one recent clinical trial found that St. John's wort does not relieve major depression. Whether these products have any effect on garden-variety sadness or nervousness is not known, mainly because standard tests aren't sensitive enough to detect any possible impact on temporary bad moods. These remedies almost certainly will not improve abnormal , undisturbed mood.
While prescription antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs often cause side effects, these "natural" supplements can pose risks, too.
St. John's wort can cause sun sensitivity and decrease the effectiveness of a host of other medications, including oral contraceptives, cholesterol-lowering "statin" drugs, and certain blood-pressure drugs. SAM-e can cause nervousness, insomnia, and possibly mania. Neither product should be taken with another antidepressant, since the herb and possibly SAM-e can magnify the medication's effects and side effects.
If you're considering using either substance, first talk to a mental-health professional, who can distinguish a mild or moderate problem from a more serious one, which requires prescription medication, psychotherapy, or both. Milder problems could possibly be treated with either St. John's wort or SAM-e, though a health professional should check for drug interactions and monitor your progress.
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