Can You Actually Biohack Your Mental Health?
If you've spent any time on TikTok or Instagram over the last few years, you've probably encountered one of the latest health trends: biohacking.
"Reset your nervous system."
"Fix your dopamine."
"Balance your hormones."
"Take these supplements for anxiety."
It's an appealing idea. Rather than years of therapy, medication or complicated treatment, perhaps there is a combination of supplements, routines, cold showers, exercise, sleep optimisation and "nervous system hacks" that can get your brain functioning exactly how it should. But what does the research actually tell us?
The answer is not simple and straight forwarded.
Some things marketed as mental health "biohacks" have legitimate evidence behind them. Others have very limited evidence. And supplements are neither universally useless nor a magic solution for mental health.
So the important questions are does it actually work, for whom, for what problem, and how strong is the evidence?
What exactly is "biohacking"?
Biohacking isn't a formal psychological or psychiatric treatment.
It's a broad term generally used to describe attempts to deliberately modify aspects of your biology, behaviour or environment in order to improve health, performance or wellbeing. And that can range from relatively sensible interventions to highly experimental ones such as technology inserted beneath the skin to monitor wellness, and physical improvements.
So what counts as a biohack?
Lifestyle changes
Nutrition and supplements
Wearable technology
Scientific intervention
These aren't particularly revolutionary. But they are biological and behavioural factors that can influence psychological functioning. For example, a 2024 systematic review and network meta-analysis of 218 randomised studies involving more than 14,000 participants found that exercise produced meaningful reductions in depressive symptoms. Walking or jogging, yoga and strength training were among the interventions showing moderate effects compared with active controls.
So, yes - there are things you can do to influence your biology that can support mental health. But that's not quite the same as saying you can "hack" a mental health disorder.
Can supplements actually change your mental health?
This is where things get particularly interesting. The answer is:
Sometimes.
But the effect depends significantly on the supplement, the person, the condition being treated, the dose, the duration and whether it is being used alone or alongside psychotropic or therapeutic treatment. A 2025 systematic review and network meta-analysis examined 192 trials involving 17,437 participants and 44 different nutraceuticals for depressive disorders. The researchers found that several nutraceuticals showed potential benefits, particularly when used alongside antidepressant treatment.
The research identified promising interventions, but the quality, size and consistency of the underlying evidence varies substantially between treatments. This leads to a really important distinction: there is evidence of an effect, it is not necessarily an effective treatment that should replace standard care.
But here's where the distinction really matters: symptoms vs complex mental health.
This is the part I think gets lost in online conversations about biohacking. Research may show that a particular intervention produces a small reduction in depressive symptoms.
That doesn't mean it will fundamentally change a person's mental health.Taking a supplement may influence one component of a your functioning. It doesn't necessarily address the psychological and relational processes maintaining the disorder.This is why I would be cautious about claims such as:
"Fix your gut and heal your trauma."
“Take Vitamin B to cure your anxiety?”
“Ashwagandha will fix your depression.”
The "biohack" with some of the strongest evidence may be surprisingly boring. If we're talking about interventions that genuinely influence mental health, exercise deserves considerably more attention than many of the trending supplement stacks. An umbrella review of 27 systematic reviews found that exercise was associated with a moderate reduction in depressive symptoms. In other words: you don't necessarily need a $200 supplement stack. You might need sleep, movement, quality human connection, adequate nutrition, less alcohol, and better routines.
The problem with trying to optimise everything
There is another side of the conversation around biohacking that we need to give attention, and be mindful of. For some people, especially people with trauma, "optimisation" can become another form of hypervigilance and trying to maintain control. You start tracking: your sleep, your steps, your calories, your supplements, your caffeine, your productivity etc. And suddenly you're spending your entire day monitoring whether you're functioning correctly.
For someone already prone to anxiety, perfectionism or obsessive self-monitoring, this may not necessarily be helpful. You don’t need to optimise every variable in your life to be considered mentally well.
So, can you biohack your mental health?
If by biohacking you mean making intentional changes to the biological and behavioural factors that influence your mental wellbeing, then absolutely.
Sleep matters.
Exercise matters.
Nutrition matters.
Substance use matters.
Social connection matters.
Medical health matters.
And some supplements may have useful effects for particular symptoms or conditions. But if "biohacking" means finding a supplement stack or nervous-system trick that will eliminate a mental health disorder, the evidence doesn't support that claim. However, there's a useful idea buried underneath the biohacking trend:
Your brain and body are connected.
Looking after your physical health can support your psychological health. Good mental healthcare is about understanding the whole person.
That can mean looking at biology, psychology, behaviour, relationships, environment and lived experience then working out which pieces need attention.
References
Asad, A., Kirk, M., Zhu, S., et al. (2025). Effects of Prebiotics and Probiotics on Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Clinically Diagnosed Samples: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrition Reviews, 83(7), e1504–e1520.
Ghaemi, S., Zeraattalab-Motlagh, S., Jayedi, A., & Shab-Bidar, S. (2024). The effect of vitamin D supplementation on depression: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Psychological Medicine, 54(15), 3999–4008.
Liu, T-H., Wu, J-Y., Huang, P-Y., et al. (2023). Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids for Core Symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 84(5).
Moabedi, M., Aliakbari, M., Erfanian, S., & Milajerdi, A. (2023). Magnesium supplementation beneficially affects depression in adults with depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1333261.
Noetel, M., Sanders, T., Gallardo-Gómez, D., et al. (2024). Effect of exercise for depression: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ, 384, e075847.
Norouziasl, R., Zeraattalab-Motlagh, S., Jayedi, A., & Shab-Bidar, S. (2024). Efficacy and safety of n-3 fatty acids supplementation on depression: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Nutrition, 131(4), 658–671.
Peng, T-R., Lin, H-H., Tseng, T-L., et al. (2024). Efficacy of N-acetylcysteine for patients with depression: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. General Hospital Psychiatry, 91, 151–159.
Ribera, C., Sánchez-Ortí, J. V., Clarke, G., Marx, W., Mörkl, S., & Balanzá-Martínez, V. (2024). Probiotic, prebiotic, synbiotic and fermented food supplementation in psychiatric disorders: A systematic review of clinical trials. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 159, 105561.
Tian, S., Liang, Z., Qui, F., et al. (2024). Optimal exercise modality and dose to improve depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder: A systematic review and Bayesian model-based network meta-analysis of RCTs. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 176, 384–392.
Zhang, Q., Liu, Z., Wang, T., et al. (2024). Efficacy and acceptability of adjunctive n-acetylcysteine for psychotic disorders: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Human Psychopharmacology, 39(2), e2880.
This article is intended for general education and does not constitute individual medical or psychological advice. Supplement use should be discussed with an appropriately qualified health professional.
