Anti-Inflammatory and Microbiota-Regulating Property of Deficiency Tonic Medicines in Edible Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Promising Therapy for Depressive Disorder

Depression has become the leading cause of disability worldwide. Conventional serotonergic antidepressants fail to meet anticipated outcomes and increase the risk of drug dependency and side effects. Consequently, the significance of diet and nutrition in the prevention and management of depression and anxiety has increasingly received attention. Many years of clinical practice have shown that edible traditional Chinese medicines can relieve depression through their anti-inflammatory properties, potentially acting as a nutritional remedy for depression with a higher acceptance rate and safety. In this review, we elucidated how deficiency tonic medicines in edible traditional Chinese medicines and their ingredients modulate the immune response and gut microbiota to alleviate depression. This article can offer new insights into the antidepressant effect of daily dietary treatments.