Study identifies a much easier and cheaper way to treat depression than with prescription drugs

Every year, tens of millions of people around the world wrestle with bad moods and various levels of depression. Prescription drugs help many sufferers, yet side effects, cost, and uneven results often leave patients and clinicians on the lookout for other solutions.

Then one day, as with all urban myths, one person told another who told another about a home remedy that never seems to fail. If you want to beat depression, taking just one spoonful of vinegar every day will wash those blue away.

When you stop and think about it for a minute, diet does seem like an obvious place to turn for cures to most any ailment. After all, the body and mind operate on what we feed them.

Could the same sour splash that wakes up a salad also nudge a weary mind toward optimism?

Two small clinical trials suggests that the idea of treating depression with a spoonful of vinegar is definitely worth more attention from medical professionals and the public.

Studying vinegars impact on depression

Fermented vinegars have had a place in folk remedies for centuries, prized for their ability to tame blood sugar spikes and add zest without salt or fat.

Scientific studies over the past decade have confirmed some metabolic perks, yet mental health has been missing from the conversation.

That gap inspired a team of nutrition researchers to see whether swallowing some vinegar on a regular schedule could ease depression by influencing mood-related chemistry as well as subjective feelings.

Led by Arizona State University dietitian Haley Barrong, the investigators recruited 28 overweight but otherwise healthy adults and randomly assigned them to one of two groups.

Half drank two tablespoons of red wine vinegar diluted in water twice a day, while the rest swallowed a capsule containing only a trace of vinegar.

What the team learned

Over four weeks, all participants completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression questionnaire (CES-D) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).

Scores on the CES-D hardly budged, yet the PHQ-9 told another story. In the vinegar group, reported depressive symptoms fell by an average of 42 percent, compared with an 18 percent dip in the pill group.

After reviewing the data, the authors wrote, “This data provides additional support that daily vinegar ingestion over four weeks can improve self-reported depression symptomology in generally healthy adults and that alterations in [vitamin B3] metabolism may factor into this improvement.”

Vinegar, depression, and blood

The team also collected blood samples to watch biochemical pathways at work. The most striking change was an 86 percent surge in nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3 that feeds into the NAD⁺ salvage pathway responsible for cellular energy recycling.

Higher nicotinamide aligns with lower inflammation, a relationship that has caught psychiatric interest before.

Two metabolites – isoleucine, a branched-chain amino acid, and isobutyric acid – shifted as well, hinting that vinegar tweaks broader metabolic networks tied to mood regulation.

“Depressive disorders are the most prevalent mental health conditions in the world,” write the researchers.

“The commonly prescribed antidepressant medications can have serious side effects, and their efficacy varies widely. Thus, simple, effective adjunct therapies are needed.”

How vinegar might lift mood

Several mechanisms could explain the modest improvements. Acetic acid, the defining ingredient in vinegar, activates AMP-activated protein kinase, an energy sensor linked to NAD⁺ production.

More NAD⁺ means brain cells repair DNA damage more effectively and maintain healthy mitochondria.

Another possibility involves the gut. Acetic acid can encourage growth of friendly bacteria that generate neurotransmitter precursors, forging a gut-brain feedback loop many neuroscientists now consider crucial to emotional balance.

Lab work in mice has already shown that boosting NAD⁺ protects neurons from stress hormones, while human studies connect higher dietary vitamin B3 with lower depression risk.

The present human trial knits those ideas together: swallow vinegar, raise nicotinamide levels, and perhaps give the brain an energetic lift.

Depression, vinegar, and health

None of this turns vinegar into a standalone treatment. The experiment lasted only a month, involved people with mild symptoms, and lost some statistical punch after adjusting for baseline scores.

Still, swallowing a familiar pantry staple twice a day costs pennies and carries few risks for most adults.

“Future research examining the effects of vinegar administration in clinically depressed or at-risk populations, and those on antidepressant medications, is warranted,” the authors concluded.

“A focus on mechanisms and large patient samples will strengthen the science and provide the evidence to more firmly demonstrate vinegar’s role in health promotion.”

Until those larger trials wrap up, dietitians may simply remind clients that incorporating two tablespoons of red wine or apple cider vinegar into meals is safe for most, provided they dilute it and protect their teeth by rinsing with water.

Future studies on depression and vinegar

People interested in trying the routine might start by whisking vinegar into dressings or stirring it into a tall glass of water before lunch and dinner.

Anyone with acid reflux, kidney issues, or current prescriptions should check with a clinician first.

Mental health professionals could eventually blend such low-cost dietary tweaks with therapy and medication, tailoring care to each person’s biology and preferences.

The notion that mood can shift alongside something as ordinary as a mealtime condiment highlights how tightly body and mind intertwine.

Vinegar will never replace professional treatment, yet its potential to turn that frown upside down – especially for those reluctant to take pharmaceuticals – deserves the careful follow-up studies that this research team calls for.

The full study was published in the journal Nutrients.

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