Researchers have recently discovered the herb roseroot may be able to treat depression even better than conventional medications. The study was published in the journal Phytomedicine and compared roseroot with the drug sertraline.

The researchers from Pennsylvania University found that the roseroot was almost as effective as the drug in treating depression, and that it also had fewer side effects. Conventional medications are known for having many potential side effects so the fact that roseroot does not makes it a potentially better choice as a treatment option.

The study used 57 participants and required a double-blind comparison trial where some of the people were given sertraline, some roseroot, and some a placebo. The study lasted 12 weeks.

At the end of the study it was clear that the roseroot was quite effective. The people who took roseroot were 1.4 time more likely to feel like their depression had lessoned, while the people who took the sertraline were 1.9 times more likely. Although this is a difference, statistically it is not a crucial one.

The bigger difference between the two came when the researchers asked about side effects. Of those who were prescribed the conventional drug sertraline, 63 percent of them had a side effect like sexual disfunction or nausea. In comparison, only 30 percent of the people taking the roseroot reported having similar symptoms.

This potential alternative could mean big things for depression treatment. About 250 million people around the world suffer depression and while there are many treatment options, a lot of them are not very effective. The conventional drugs often don’t work at all or not fast enough which makes a lot of people stop getting treatment. In fact in 70 percent of depression treatment cases there is no improvement.

Jun Mao, an associate professor from the school was confident with the possibilities.

“These results are a bit preliminary but suggest herbal therapy may have the potential to help patients with depression who cannot tolerate conventional antidepressants due to side effects,” he said.

Roseroot grows naturally in cold areas such as the arctic and some areas in Europe. It has been used as a natural way to manage stress for many years.