Single-micronutrient and broad-spectrum micronutrient approaches for treating mood disorders in youth and adults

Abstract

Several different vitamins and minerals appear to be effective augmenting agents for mood-modifying drugs, but are not potent monotherapies in themselves for treating psychiatric disorders. In contrast, broad-spectrum micronutrient interventions appear in early trials to be as effective as psychiatric medications with fewer adverse effects for treating mood disorders, ADHD, aggressivity, and misconduct in youth and adults. Broad-spectrum treatments also may improve stress responses, cognition, and sense of well-being in healthy adults, but have been less well studied in youth. Current clinical data justify an extensive expansion of research on micronutrient mechanisms and treatments in psychiatry.

Keywords: Adolescents; Bipolar disorder; Children; Major depressive disorder; Micronutrients; Minerals; Psychopharmacology; Vitamins.