Index of Herbs

Concern guide

Herbs for Low Mood and Depression

Herbs that may support mild low mood, from St. John’s wort and saffron to lemon balm, with what the research shows and how to stay safe.

9 herbs reviewed

Updated October 12, 2026

Low mood is part of being human: a hard week, a loss, a dark winter, or a long stretch of stress can leave anyone feeling flat. Depression is different. It means low mood or loss of interest most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks, often with changes in sleep, appetite, energy, and concentration. The hopeful news is that depression is treatable, and most people benefit from treatment.

Herbs can be a gentle part of that support, especially for milder low mood. NIMH notes that talking therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy are often tried first for milder depression, while moderate to severe depression usually calls for antidepressant medicine as part of the plan; a herb can sit alongside this care, with your clinician’s knowledge. Everyday habits help too: regular activity, a steady sleep routine, regular meals, and time with people you trust. St. John’s wort is the best-studied herb as a treatment in its own right, but it interacts with many medicines, so it needs a medication check first.

The herbs below are ordered by strength of evidence for low mood, then by how commonly they are used. Ratings run from good clinical evidence to long traditional use. St. John’s wort is the one herb here with good evidence, from many trials and systematic reviews in mild to moderate depression. For the others, research on mood is still emerging: trials are smaller, often focus on stress or anxiety with mood as a secondary measure, and use different extracts. Saffron is the exception, with small trials in depression itself. The full monographs cover doses, side effects, and interactions.

02 The shortlist

The herbs, from best studied to time-honored

How to read the ratings

  • Good clinical evidence
  • Promising clinical evidence
  • Early or mixed evidence
  • Long traditional use

Ratings show how much research backs each herb for this particular concern. Every herb links to its full monograph, with preparations, safety notes, and sources.

  1. 01 St. John’s Wort

    Good clinical evidence

    Hypericum perforatum

    St. John’s wort is the best-studied herb for depression. EMA accepts specific extracts as well-established medicines for mild to moderate depression, a Cochrane review of 29 trials found them better than placebo and similar to standard antidepressants with fewer side effects, and a 2022 international psychiatry taskforce recommended it. Two large US trials in more severe depression were negative, and evidence beyond about 12 weeks is limited. Its key caution is interactions: it weakens many medicines, including birth control, and risks serotonin syndrome with antidepressants.

    Read the st. john’s wort monograph →

  2. 02 Saffron

    Promising clinical evidence

    Crocus sativus

    Saffron, the costly spice made from crocus stigmas, has long been used for low mood in Persian traditional medicine. In small trials, mostly from one Iranian research group, 30 mg a day eased mild to moderate depression more than placebo and about as well as fluoxetine or imipramine over six to eight weeks, and a 2022 psychiatry taskforce gave it a provisional recommendation. Reviews flag small samples and likely publication bias, and the largest recent trial found a more modest benefit. Grams of saffron are toxic, and medicinal doses should be avoided in pregnancy.

    Read the saffron monograph →

  3. 03 Lavender

    Promising clinical evidence

    Lavandula angustifolia

    Lavender is loved as a calming scent, and EMA accepts it as a traditional remedy for mild stress and exhaustion. For mood, the most encouraging data come from Silexan, an 80 mg oral lavender oil capsule, which helped in a trial of 318 people with mixed anxiety and depression; NCCIH notes it might help anxiety with depressive symptoms, and a 2022 psychiatry taskforce gave lavender a cautious recommendation for depression. Most trials were funded by the maker, so independent studies would help. Diffuser oil should never be swallowed.

    Read the lavender monograph →

  4. 04 Ashwagandha

    Early or mixed evidence

    Withania somnifera

    Ashwagandha is popular for the stress and restless nights that often travel with low mood. Several trials found less stress than with placebo, a 2022 psychiatry taskforce gave it modest support for anxiety disorders, and a 2021 review that included depression described a plausible but still developing picture. It has not been shown to treat depression itself, so it fits best alongside care. The key caution is rare but serious liver injury; avoid it in pregnancy, and with thyroid disease unless a doctor agrees.

    Read the ashwagandha monograph →

  5. 05 Rhodiola

    Early or mixed evidence

    Rhodiola rosea

    Rhodiola is an Arctic and mountain herb that some people take when stress weighs on their mood, and EMA accepts it as a traditional remedy for stress symptoms such as fatigue. In an Armenian trial of 89 people with mild to moderate depression, scores fell more than with placebo; in a US trial it caused fewer side effects than sertraline, though neither beat placebo, and a 2022 psychiatry taskforce rated it “not currently recommended” for major depression, while Canada’s 2023 guideline lists it only as a third-line option for mild depression. Case reports link it with reactions alongside antidepressants, so check with your prescriber.

    Read the rhodiola monograph →

    Evidence review: Rhodiola for Depression

  6. 06 Lemon Balm

    Early or mixed evidence

    Melissa officinalis

    Lemon balm is a gentle, lemon-scented mint-family herb, accepted in Europe as a traditional remedy for mild stress and to aid sleep. A 2021 meta-analysis of clinical trials found that it improved depression and anxiety scores more than placebo, without serious side effects; the trials were few and varied widely, so larger studies would help. A cup of lemon balm tea is an easy, soothing ritual. It may cause drowsiness, and people with thyroid disease should discuss regular extract use with a doctor.

    Read the lemon balm monograph →

  7. 07 Skullcap

    Early or mixed evidence

    Scutellaria lateriflora

    Skullcap is sold in two main forms: American skullcap as a calming nerve tonic and Chinese skullcap root as a baicalin-rich extract. In 43 healthy adults, two weeks of American skullcap eased mood disturbance from baseline but did not beat placebo on anxiety, and in a six-week trial of 180 adults with mild to moderate depressive symptoms, Chinese skullcap did no better than placebo. It may cause drowsiness and add to sedatives, and both kinds have been linked to rare liver injury.

    Read the skullcap monograph →

  8. 08 Tongkat Ali

    Early or mixed evidence

    Eurycoma longifolia

    Tongkat ali is the root of a Southeast Asian tree, sold mostly as a standardized extract for men’s vitality and stress. In a four-week trial in 63 moderately stressed adults, 200 mg a day lowered tension, anger and confusion and cut cortisol by 16% versus placebo, but the extract’s maker funded it, and a 24-week trial in 93 people found no overall effect on mood or stress. Europe’s food safety agency could not confirm its safety because of DNA-damage findings in lab tests, and some products tested in Malaysia contained mercury.

    Read the tongkat ali monograph →

  9. 09 Holy Basil

    Long traditional use

    Ocimum tenuiflorum

    Holy basil, or tulsi, is revered in Ayurveda and drunk daily as a calming tea in many Indian homes. Its trials focus on stress: extracts eased stress symptoms more than placebo in two small studies, and in 35 adults with anxiety, depression scores also fell, though that study had no placebo group, so its effect on mood is still emerging. It may lower blood sugar and thyroid hormone and slow clotting, and it is best avoided in pregnancy or when trying to conceive.

    Read the holy basil monograph →

03 Caution

Using these herbs safely

Low mood deserves the same care as any other health concern, and some moments need help right away. Anyone having thoughts of suicide or self-harm should contact emergency services or a crisis line right away; in the US, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and in a life-threatening situation call 911. Low mood that lasts more than two weeks, gets in the way of work, relationships, or self-care, or comes with hopelessness deserves a visit to a doctor or mental health professional, and moderate to severe depression needs professional care rather than self-treatment with herbs. A check-up matters too, because thyroid problems, some medicines, and other conditions can cause similar symptoms. Never stop, cut down, or swap a prescribed antidepressant for a herb without your prescriber, because changes need a planned taper or overlap, and check with them before adding any herb alongside one.

St. John’s wort is the herb here that most needs a pharmacist’s check. Combined with SSRIs such as sertraline, SNRIs, triptans for migraine, tramadol, buspirone, or other serotonin-raising drugs, it can cause serotonin syndrome, with agitation, sweating, a fast heartbeat, tremor, muscle jerks, and fever. It also speeds the breakdown of many medicines, lowering their levels: hormonal contraceptives (so backup contraception is needed), warfarin, HIV medicines, transplant drugs such as cyclosporine and tacrolimus, digoxin, some cancer drugs, statins, antiseizure medicines, and more; heart-transplant rejection has been reported. Stopping it is also an interaction, because levels of those drugs can climb within about a week. Rhodiola has case reports of serotonin-type reactions and a fast heart rhythm with antidepressants and slows an enzyme that clears warfarin. Lavender, lemon balm, and ashwagandha can add to drowsiness from alcohol, sleeping pills, and other sedatives, and holy basil may add to the effects of blood thinners and diabetes drugs.

A few herb-specific cautions matter for mood. Like prescription antidepressants, St. John’s wort may trigger mania in people with bipolar disorder, and hypomania has been recorded in saffron trials, so anyone with bipolar disorder or a past episode of unusually high mood should use either only with their psychiatrist; racing thoughts, little need for sleep, reckless behavior, worsening mood, or suicidal thoughts mean stopping and getting help. St. John’s wort also makes skin more sensitive to light, especially fair skin, so avoid intense sun and tanning beds while taking it and tell your doctor before any light-based treatment. Ashwagandha is rated a likely cause of rare liver injury, so yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, pale stools, or itching mean stopping it and getting tested. Ashwagandha, holy basil, and lemon balm may affect the thyroid. Stop St. John’s wort before planned surgery, and tell your surgical team about any of these herbs.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: St. John’s wort is not recommended, with signs of reproductive harm in animals and reports of colic and drowsiness in breastfed babies; EMA also advises against lavender, lemon balm, and rhodiola, ashwagandha should be avoided, medicinal doses of saffron should be avoided because large amounts stimulate the womb, and holy basil is best avoided when pregnant or trying to conceive. Depression during or after pregnancy is common and treatable, and an obstetrician or psychiatrist can suggest options with good safety data. Children: depression in children and teenagers needs a specialist, and EMA does not recommend St. John’s wort or rhodiola under 18, or lavender and lemon balm under 12. Product quality matters too. US St. John’s wort supplements are not held to an extract standard, so assume any capsule sold for mood could interact; Silexan is not the same as shop essential oil, which should be kept away from children; and some rhodiola products lack the genuine herb.

04 Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

For mild to moderate depression, St. John’s wort has the strongest evidence: specific extracts matched standard antidepressants in many trials and are accepted as medicines in Europe. It interacts with many drugs, so it needs a pharmacist’s check first. Saffron capsules (30 mg a day) matched standard antidepressants in several small trials, mostly from Iran, and have no well-documented drug interactions. Lavender oil capsules (Silexan) and lemon balm have smaller encouraging trials, especially when low mood comes with anxiety. Moderate to severe depression needs professional care, and herbs work best alongside it.

No, not unless your doctor is supervising. Combining St. John’s wort with SSRIs, SNRIs, triptans, tramadol, or other serotonin-raising drugs can cause serotonin syndrome, with agitation, sweating, a fast heartbeat, tremor, and fever. It can also lower levels of some antidepressants, such as amitriptyline and bupropion. Never stop or swap an antidepressant for a herb on your own; switching in either direction needs your prescriber’s plan for a safe taper or washout.

EMA says the effect of St. John’s wort can be expected within about four weeks, a similar timescale to prescription antidepressants, which NIMH says usually take four to eight weeks. Its effects on other medicines build over one to two weeks and fade about a week after stopping. If your mood is not improving after four weeks, or is getting worse, see a doctor, and seek help right away for any thoughts of self-harm.

It can. St. John’s wort speeds up the breakdown of contraceptive hormones; in one study, breakthrough bleeding occurred in 7 of 12 women taking it with a combined pill, compared with 2 of 12 without it. EMA advises using additional contraception while taking it, and the effect lasts about a week after stopping. Ask your prescriber about implants and other hormonal methods too, and because it is not recommended in pregnancy, talk with your clinician first if you could become pregnant.

Many people find gentle support helpful alongside talking therapy, which NIMH notes is often tried first for milder depression. Calming herbs such as lemon balm or lavender may ease the stress and anxiety that often travel with low mood, and regular activity, sleep, and time with others help too. If you take an antidepressant, check with your prescriber before adding any herb, and never combine St. John’s wort with one unless your doctor is supervising.

05 References

Sources

These references support the claims in this guide. Each herb’s monograph carries its own full source list.

  1. Depression

    National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), 2024

    Defines depression and its symptoms, describes psychotherapy first for milder depression and medication for moderate to severe depression, notes antidepressants take four to eight weeks, and gives the 988 crisis line.

  2. St. John’s wort

    National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH), 2025

    Supports benefit in mild to moderate depression, uncertainty in severe depression and beyond 12 weeks, the long list of dangerous drug interactions, light sensitivity, and pregnancy and breastfeeding cautions.

  3. European Union herbal monograph on Hypericum perforatum L., herba (Revision 1)

    European Medicines Agency (EMA/HMPC/7695/2021), 2022

    Well-established use for mild to moderate depressive episodes, effect within about four weeks, contraindicated drugs, serotonin syndrome, contraception advice, and no use under 18 or in pregnancy.

  4. St John’s wort for major depression

    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (PubMed 18843608), 2008

    The 29-trial, 5,489-patient review finding St. John’s wort better than placebo and similar to standard antidepressants, with fewer dropouts from side effects.

  5. Clinician guidelines for the treatment of psychiatric disorders with nutraceuticals and phytoceuticals: the WFSBP and CANMAT Taskforce

    World Journal of Biological Psychiatry (PubMed 35311615), 2022

    International taskforce recommending St. John’s wort, provisionally recommending saffron and weakly recommending lavender for depression, modestly supporting ashwagandha for anxiety, and rating rhodiola “not currently recommended” for major depression.

  6. Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) 2023 Update on Clinical Guidelines for Management of Major Depressive Disorder in Adults

    Canadian Journal of Psychiatry (PubMed 38711351), 2024

    Supports the note that rhodiola (roseroot), like saffron and lavender, has only modest evidence and remains a third-line treatment for mild depression.

  7. The Efficacy of Saffron in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Depression: A Meta-analysis

    Planta Medica (PubMed 30036891), 2019

    Supports the some rating for saffron: nine pooled trials found saffron more effective than placebo and non-inferior to the antidepressants tested in mild to moderate depression.

  8. St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum): drug interactions and clinical outcomes

    British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (PubMed 12392581), 2002

    Regulatory review of interactions with warfarin, cyclosporine, HIV protease inhibitors, digoxin, and oral contraceptives, and serotonergic risk with SSRIs and triptans.

  9. Lavender: usefulness and safety

    National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH), 2025

    Notes that an oral lavender oil product might help anxiety, including anxiety with depressive symptoms, while trials are small and lack independent funding.

  10. The effects of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) on depression and anxiety in clinical trials: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Phytotherapy Research (PubMed 34449930), 2021

    Meta-analysis finding better depression and anxiety scores with lemon balm than placebo without serious side effects, with high variation between trials.

  11. American Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study of its effects on mood in healthy volunteers

    Phytotherapy Research (PubMed 23878109), 2014

    Supports the mixed rating for skullcap: in 43 healthy adults, 350 mg three times daily for two weeks reduced total mood disturbance from baseline but did not change anxiety scores versus placebo.

  12. The Effects of Combined Scutellaria and Saffron Supplementation on Mood Regulation in Participants with Mild-to-Moderate Depressive Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

    Nutrients (PubMed 40077679), 2025

    In 180 adults with mild to moderate depressive symptoms, a Chinese skullcap extract, saffron, both or placebo for six weeks lowered depression scores similarly in all groups; funded by the ingredient supplier.

  13. Effect of Tongkat Ali on stress hormones and psychological mood state in moderately stressed subjects

    Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (PubMed 23705671), 2013

    Supports the mixed rating for tongkat ali: in 63 moderately stressed adults, 200 mg a day for four weeks lowered tension, anger and confusion and salivary cortisol by 16% versus placebo; funded by the extract’s maker, Biotropics Malaysia.

  14. Efficacy and safety of Eurycoma longifolia (Physta®) water extract plus multivitamins on quality of life, mood and stress: a randomized placebo-controlled and parallel study

    Food and Nutrition Research (PubMed 30574050), 2018

    In 93 people over 24 weeks, tongkat ali with multivitamins showed no significant overall difference from placebo in quality of life, mood or stress.

  15. Safety of Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali) root extract as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283

    EFSA Journal (PubMed 34987621), 2021

    Source for the caution that EFSA could not establish the safety of a tongkat ali root extract because of DNA-damage findings in laboratory and animal tests.

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