[nanobyte]

S-ame (s-adenosylmethionine) is probably the most effective natural anti-depressant. I know it's widely used in Germany. There's extensive research on PubMed regarding it's effectiveness--if it weren't naturally occurring and therefore not subject to patent, it would likely be a blockbuster drug given that it outperforms most prescription drugs.

From my own personal experience, it reduces my anxiety within hours of taking it. And relieves depression in about a week. In the US, you can buy it off the shelf at any CVS/Walgreens. But it's certainly not cheap.

[gohrt]

How is that "natural" ? Is it harvested from natural producers of the substance?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Adenosyl_methionine#Therapeut...

[hollerith]

It's natural in the sense that the healthy human body produces s-ame on it own, and if your body ever stopped producing s-ame, you'd probably die since (quoting Wikipedia) "more than 40 metabolic reactions involve the transfer of a methyl group from SAM to various substrates, such as nucleic acids, proteins, lipids and secondary metabolites."

[girvo]

Oh wow, that's a fascinating drug. A shame it seems it's not allowed here in Australia?