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Cited by 10Medicinal Plant Extracts EffectsComplementary and Alternative Medicine StudiesNutrition and Health Studies

The Therapeutic Impact of Plant-Based and Nutritional Supplements on Anxiety, Depressive Symptoms and Sleep Quality among Adults and Elderly: A Systematic Review of the Literature

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Kamat, Darshan, Al-Ajlouni, Yazan A., Hall, Ryan C. W.·2023·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
DOI 10.3390/ijerph20065171PMC PMC10049309
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Abstract

Background: The emerging research in the literature continues to forecast a drastic and alarming increase in negative mental health and sleep health outcomes among populations, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly influenced people’s way of life. With mental health pharmaceutical interventions continuing to be stigmatized and inaccessible among populations, natural supplements provide an opportunity for intervention. Objective: This study sought to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the most recent comprehensive evidence for which nutritional supplements have the greatest therapeutic impact on symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Methods: A systematic search of the literature, utilizing several databases, including PubMed and Web of Science, was conducted on 29 April 2022. We used developed keywords and MeSH terms for the search. The study eligibility criteria included (1) a randomized control trial; (2) investigating a plant-based therapeutic or natural supplement as the intervention; (3) measuring at least one health outcome of the following: anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, or sleep health outcomes; (4) utilizing validated measurement tools to measure the outcome of interest; (5) written in the English language; (6) peer reviewed; and (7) focused on adults and elderly populations. Main Results: Following the PRISMA guidelines, 76 studies were included in this review. We used the revised Risk of Bias tool (RoB2) to assess the quality of all included randomized control trials. A qualitative data synthesis was conducted. Overall, we found several valuable insights from the evidence in the literature, including evidence that demonstrates the benefits of probiotics and vitamin B complexes on anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and sleep quality. Implication of Key Findings: This review provides the most updated findings in the literature on the topic, including an abundance of research that was published in the past 5 years. Given the expected rise in negative mental and sleep health outcomes following the pandemic, the supplements and therapeutics identified in this study should be the target of intervention measures to increase their accessibility and affordability and allow them to be incorporated into clinical guidelines of treatment. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022361130.

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  • L-arginine and L-lysine are effective therapeutic interventions to reduce anxiety and mental stress.

    “Based on a systematic review in 2023, L-arginine and L-lysine are effective therapeutic interventions to reduce anxiety and mental stress [44].”

    From Effect of l-arginine compared to placebo on sexual function in women with major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial (2024) · cites this paper as [44]

    The Results (§3.5, page not provided) report that combined L-lysine and L-arginine capsules significantly reduced anxiety symptoms in 180 healthy participants; the Discussion (§4, page not provided) also describes these amino acids as effective for improving anxiety. The review does not report a separate reduction in mental stress from this combination: the cognitive stress battery is listed as a measure of anxiety symptoms. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • Major depressive disorder may arise as a result of variations in the urea and nitric oxide cycles' concentrations of arginine and its associated catabolic products.

    “Major depressive disorder may arise as a result of variations in the urea and nitric oxide cycles’ concentrations of arginine and its associated catabolic products, including ornithine, citrulline, and argininosuccinate.”

    From Effect of l-arginine compared to placebo on sexual function in women with major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial (2024) · cites this paper as [44]

    The Discussion (page unavailable) reports that supplements containing L-arginine improved anxiety and depressive symptoms, but it does not link arginine concentrations or its catabolic products to the onset of major depressive disorder. Searches for the urea and nitric oxide cycles, ornithine, citrulline, and argininosuccinate found no passage addressing that proposed mechanism. (LLM, conf=0.76)

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Authors
Kamat, D., Al-Ajlouni, Y. A., & Hall, R. C. W.
Affiliations
  • University of Central Florida (US)
  • School of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
Corresponding author
Kamat, Darshan
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2023-03-15
Volume
20
Issue
6
Pages
5171
ISSN
1660-4601 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/ijerph20065171
PMC
PMC10049309
OpenAlex
W4324363433
Cited by
10
References
100
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 4
FWCI
0.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (acceptedVersion)
  • Touro Scholar (Touro College) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Medicinal Plant Extracts Effects
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutrition and Health Studies
Keywords
plant-based supplements, dietary supplements, anxiety, depressive symptoms, sleep quality, insomnia, probiotics, B vitamins, natural remedies, older adults, adults, COVID-19 pandemic, mental health
MeSH terms
COVID-19, Sleep Quality, Adult, Aged, Anxiety, Depression, Humans, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Pandemics

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