Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
Supplements studied for seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Overview
Melatonin (3 studies) shows mixed but potentially helpful signals for seasonal affective disorder at low daily doses (0.25–2 mg) over several weeks, though very short courses did not help. St. John's Wort (2 studies) reported symptom improvements in early uncontrolled trials. L-Tryptophan (1 study) appeared comparable to light therapy in a very small study.
Vitamin D (1 study) has insufficient evidence. Light therapy remains the best-supported treatment. See the heatmap and evidence reviews below.
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