As a pharmacist in the United States, my training was definitely heavily steeped in Western medicine. As a result, one core idea I received is that we don’t typically recommend supplements or any product that has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although I am sure it was not explained in this way, my reasoning was that the drugs that are approved by the FDA can have issues, so anything not approved by the FDA could potentially be even worse. I have spent a lot of my pharmacy career thus far recommending that people not just grab something off of the shelf without checking with their provider first. Although a conservative and cautious answer from me, I am starting to realize that maybe there is more to supplements than to “just don’t take them”.
As the years have gone by, I question more and more how we treat and prevent disease, and I understand there is not a one size fits all for everyone. Also, my education wasn’t perfect, nor is the FDA. The more I learn the more I understand there is a lot I don’t know. So today, I wouldn’t tell someone to not take a supplement, but I would still encourage them to check with a trusted provider first. Of course, a lot of providers may not know much about supplements, so it is important to check with someone who does and can discuss how it may work for you and your situation.
Looking at depression specifically, I think there are some possible supplements out there that may be helpful. I wouldn’t take them right away, but again I think that is a discussion with someone who is knowledgeable about treating depression with the supplements in question. There is a lot of promise out there, and I wouldn’t want someone to miss an opportunity to treat their depression because of an outdated idea about the potential evils of supplements.