Mood & Mental Health
Which supplements, vitamins, foods and habits affect mood & mental health? Every claim graded by the strength of the published research.
- Reduces anxiety and stress symptoms — Ashwagandha (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Eases depression symptoms — Exercise and mental health (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Lowers the risk of developing depression — Exercise and mental health (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Lowers stress, anxiety and low mood — Journaling (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Helps stop depression from coming back — Meditation (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Eases stress and anxiety — Music (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Eases anxiety — Progressive Muscle Relaxation (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Causes short-lived side effects like headache and nausea — Psilocybin (Harm, grade B: Moderate)
- Improves burnout symptoms and stress-related exhaustion — Rhodiola Rosea (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Reduces mental fatigue during stress — Rhodiola Rosea (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Eases low mood and depression symptoms — Saffron (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Better tolerated than standard antidepressants — St John's Wort (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Helps with mild to moderate depression — St John's Wort (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Works about as well as standard antidepressants — St John's Wort (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Eases depression symptoms — Strength Training (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Eases anxiety and depression — Tai Chi (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Lowers stress — Time in Nature (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Eases depressive symptoms — Vitamin D (Benefit, grade B: Moderate)
- Eases anxiety — Aromatherapy (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Lifts low mood — Aromatherapy (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Lowers cortisol levels in stressed adults — Ashwagandha (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Reduces stress and fatigue — Bacopa Monnieri (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Eases anxiety — Breathing Exercises (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Lifts mood — Breathing Exercises (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Reduces stress — Breathing Exercises (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Eases anxiety — CBD (Mixed results, grade C: Limited)
- Triggers panic attacks in panic disorder — Caffeine (Harm, grade C: Limited)
- Does not clearly ease state anxiety — Chamomile (No effect, grade C: Limited)
- Eases generalised anxiety — Chamomile (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Eases low mood — Chamomile (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Can trigger panic attacks in people with panic disorder — Coffee (Harm, grade C: Limited)
- Eases anxiety symptoms — Exercise and mental health (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Lowers the risk of developing anxiety — Exercise and mental health (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Eases symptoms of depression (EPA-rich formulas in adults) — Fish Oil (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Helps with ADHD symptoms in children — Fish Oil (Mixed results, grade C: Limited)
- Prevents depression in older adults — Fish Oil (Harm, grade C: Limited)
- Feels more enjoyable than steady exercise — HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) (Mixed results, grade C: Limited)
- Does not ease anxiety or stress in pregnancy — Journaling (No effect, grade C: Limited)
- Eases anxiety — Journaling (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Eases stress and low mood with a gratitude diary — Journaling (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Eases symptoms of mental illness — Journaling (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Lifts wellbeing and positive mood — Journaling (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Calms stress and anxiety — L-theanine (Mixed results, grade C: Limited)
- Lifts mood and eases anxiety — Lion's Mane (Mixed results, grade C: Limited)
- Eases depression and anxiety — Magnesium (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Eases anxiety — Massage (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Reduces work stress — Massage (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Can cause unpleasant experiences — Meditation (Harm, grade C: Limited)
- Can worsen psychosis in some people (case reports) — Meditation (Harm, grade C: Limited)
- Eases anxiety — Meditation (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Eases depression symptoms — Meditation (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Reduces stress — Meditation (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Bright light (often in the morning) helps lift bipolar depression — Morning Light (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Bright light (often in the morning) helps lift non-seasonal depression — Morning Light (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Bright light (often in the morning) helps lift winter (seasonal) depression — Morning Light (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Bright light (often in the morning) triggers mania in bipolar disorder — Morning Light (Mixed results, grade C: Limited)
- Daylight linked to lower depression risk — Morning Light (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Reduces everyday fatigue — NAD+ Supplements (No effect, grade C: Limited)
- Lifts your mood — Napping (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Calms stress and anxiety during pet contact — Pet Ownership (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Eases depression and anxiety in older adults — Pet Ownership (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Reduces social isolation — Pet Ownership (Mixed results, grade C: Limited)
- Can trigger mania or hypomania in vulnerable people — Psilocybin (Harm, grade C: Limited)
- Cuts heavy drinking in alcohol use disorder — Psilocybin (Mixed results, grade C: Limited)
- Eases anxiety and distress in people facing a serious illness — Psilocybin (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Eases depression symptoms — Psilocybin (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Microdosing improves mood and mental health — Psilocybin (No effect, grade C: Limited)
- Eases anxiety symptoms — Saffron (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Lowers depression scores rated by a clinician — Saffron (Mixed results, grade C: Limited)
- Eases anxiety symptoms — St John's Wort (No effect, grade C: Limited)
- Lifts mood and eases anxiety in the short term — Time in Nature (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Lowers the risk of depression — Time in Nature (Mixed results, grade C: Limited)
- Raises depression risk — Ultra-processed food (Harm, grade C: Limited)
- Helps ease depression symptoms — Walking (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Eases anxiety — Yoga (Mixed results, grade C: Limited)
- Helps ease depression symptoms — Yoga (Benefit, grade C: Limited)
- Reduces stress — Yoga (Benefit, grade C: Limited)