Episode 07.08.2026 - Top 20 Drugs: Antidepressants

SUMMARY

Dr. Bryan Ardis continues his Top 20 Prescribed Drugs of 2025 series, this week the three most prescribed antidepressants in America: Sertraline (Zoloft), Escitalopram (Lexapro), and Trazodone (Desyrel). Walking through the Cleveland Clinic and drugs.com package inserts slide by slide, Dr. Ardis breaks down how each drug works as an SSRI, the FDA's black box suicide-risk warning carried by all three, and the extensive list of published psychiatric, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, dermatological, and reproductive side effects tied to each medication. He also highlights research showing the elderly, not just adolescents, carry the highest risk of suicidal ideation on these drugs, and points out that even the Cleveland Clinic admits antidepressants do not treat the underlying cause of depression.

From there, Dr. Ardis pivots to the research-backed nutrient deficiencies most closely linked to depression and anxiety: vitamin D, iodine, quercetin, vitamin K2, and vitamin B9 (methyl folate). He walks through peer-reviewed studies showing these nutrients rival or outperform standard antidepressants in clinical trials, with none of the associated side effects.

Nature Wins Products Featured:

  • Quercetin Plus - shown in multiple studies to reduce anxiety and depressive-like behavior with effects comparable to fluoxetine (Prozac), while raising BDNF levels and lowering cortisol and inflammatory markers.

  • D3+K2 Organic - an umbrella meta-analysis of 96 studies found vitamin D supplementation at 5,000 IU/day over up to 20 weeks effectively reduced depressive symptoms, with vitamin K2 separately shown to lower the odds of depression by nearly 50 percent in high-intake groups.

  • Iodine (Kelp) - research links low urinary iodine and vitamin D levels to more severe depressive symptoms in adolescents, with iodine deficiency also tied to fatigue, mood swings, and impaired thyroid hormone production.

  • Hydrate Complete - contains L-methyl folate, the active form of vitamin B9 shown in a randomized controlled trial to match the effectiveness of amitriptyline for mild-to-moderate depression with zero reported side effects.

TAGS

The Dr. Ardis Show, Dr. Bryan Ardis, Antidepressants, Sertraline, Zoloft, Lexapro, Escitalopram, Trazodone, SSRI, Depression, Anxiety, Suicidal Ideation, FDA Black Box Warning, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Iodine, Quercetin, Vitamin B9, Methyl Folate, Mental Health, Natural Alternatives