Are negative ions antidepressants? This has been the topic of an extensive discussion among a group of psychiatrists with an interested in pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment of depression recently.
Negative ions can be generated by negative ion machines, but they are formed naturally where water mixes with air, such as at the seaside (waves), near waterfalls, and after a rainstorm. And there is clearly something that feels “good” about the quality of the air in those locations.
A meta-analysis (a structured analysis of several research studies) was published in BioMed Central Psychiatry in early 2013.
The authors concluded that negative ion machines could not be shown to affect mood (anxiety, general mood) and sleep, however there was evidence that they might have antidepressant effects.
This is similar to the way antidepressants work. They don’t have particularly noticeable immediate effects on mood, but they do, over time, counteract depression.
There was apparently a dose response effect (which is what you would hope to see with any effective treatment).
Still, the quality of the studies was not great, and, in particular, the studies did not seem to answer the question of what the effective dose should be, nor did they answer the question of how often people should be exposed to negative ions in order to get a sustained therapeutic effect.
Negative ion generators are different from ozone generators, although all negative ion generators do produce some ozone (usually a very small amount). The FDA has expressed clear concerns about ozone generators and insists that ozone is a toxic gas which has, as yet, no demonstrated safe medical application in specific, adjunctive, or preventive therapy.
Of more concern, for people who might want to try negative ion therapy, there are no standards for negative ion machines and Consumer Reports concluded a few years ago that many of the machines did not perform as their manufacturer claimed.
For now, the best way to get exposure to negative ion therapy might be to go outdoors for a walk, near the sea, which would have potentially three different proven beneficial effects on mood – exercise, bright light, pleasurable activity – in addition to the exposure to negative ions.
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