Could creatine help depression? What five clinical trials show so far

by HealthDay Staff

edited by Andrew Zinin

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Could the same supplement many people take to build muscle also help treat depression?

A new review published June 30 in the journal Brain Medicine suggests creatine has potential, but the evidence isn't quite there yet.

Creatine helps cells produce energy. Your body makes it naturally, but you can also get it from foods like meat, poultry and fish, and supplements.

While it's best known for supporting muscle function, it's also found in the brain, prompting researchers to study its impact on mental health.

Researchers reviewed five randomized clinical trials involving 238 people with depression or bipolar disorder.

Two studies in people with major depressive disorder indicated benefits—one showed adding creatine to the antidepressant escitalopram improved symptoms. Another showed the supplement enhanced the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy.

Three other trials, including one in people with bipolar disorder, showed no benefit.

Overall, creatine was generally well tolerated, with mostly mild side effects such as gastrointestinal discomfort.

But two participants with bipolar disorder developed hypomania or mania while taking the supplement.

Researchers said the findings are promising for depression, but not conclusive, adding that larger, longer studies are needed before creatine can be recommended as a treatment.

"The signal is interesting, but it is not a verdict," said first author Bassam Jeryous Fares, a medical student at the University of Ottawa in Canada. "Two trials pointed one way and three pointed another. That is not the kind of evidence on which you change clinical practice. It is the kind that tells you the question is worth further exploration."

More information

The Mayo Clinic has more on creatine.

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Creatine

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PsychiatryPsychology & Mental healthClinical pharmacology Who's behind this story?

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