For generations, people have sought relief from depression in the natural world — in fish oils, sunlight-derived vitamins, and ancient herbs — hoping that gentler remedies might carry fewer costs than prescription medicine. A sweeping new analysis of 163 clinical trials, encompassing over 15,000 adults, now asks whether that hope is grounded in evidence, and finds the answer to be far more uncertain than supplement labels suggest. Only three compounds — EPA omega-3, vitamin D3, and a specific St. John's wort extract — showed any signal of benefit after rigorous scrutiny, and even those signals