Do Nutraceuticals Help Bipolar Depression?

Bipolar depression is difficult to treat, and theories implicating mitochondrial dysfunction as a factor in this illness have prompted successful small trials of the nutraceuticals N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and coenzyme Q10. These researchers randomized 181 patients with bipolar disorder in the depressive phase to adjunctive NAC (2000 mg), a combination of mitochondrially active supplements (NAC plus 16 other substances — e.g., alpha-lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, acetyl L-carnitine), or placebo. Mood-stabilizer use was noted in 93% of patients.

At 16 weeks, the treatment groups showed no differences in the primary outcome of depressive symptoms or in global function. However, the combination treatment was significantly better than placebo on depre…