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News
Oral lavender oil holds its own against a common antidepressant. A randomized controlled trial of nearly 500 patients found that Silexan, an oral lavender oil preparation, significantly reduced core symptoms of mild-to-moderate major depression after 8 weeks — performing comparably to the SSRI sertraline. The findings suggest lavender oil may have a direct antidepressant effect, not just anxiety relief.
Lavender oil isn't just for aromatherapy anymore. A randomized controlled trial published in the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology found that Silexan — a standardized oral essential oil derived from Lavandula angustifolia — significantly outperformed placebo in reducing core symptoms of mild-to-moderate major depressive disorder (MDD) after 8 weeks, with effects broadly comparable to the SSRI sertraline.
The trial included 498 adults from Germany and Poland, randomly assigned to Silexan 80 mg/day, sertraline 50 mg/day, or placebo. Silexan was already registered as a medicinal treatment for anxiety disorders, but this analysis zeroed in on its direct antidepressant potential by examining individual symptom scores on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS).
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: For patients who may be hesitant to start traditional antidepressants, Silexan could offer a meaningful alternative — though clinicians should note the analyses were exploratory, unadjusted for multiple comparisons, and sponsor-funded, warranting cautious interpretation.
