Exercise raises few hormones like endorphin, serotonin and reduces cortisol (depending on the kind of exercise, like long walks), but I am not convinced if someone says it balances them.
[1] https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=depression+cytokines+me...
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOAgplgTxfc [Robert Sapolsky On Depression]
https://www.spandidos-publications.com/ijmm/42/1/425
I think its use for stress & anxiety reduction is studied too,
In general, expecting that the intake of some chemical will fix the multitude of factors contributing to this complex disease seems short sighted and may create false hopes in people suffering from it, so far no easy chemical fix has been found or it would instantly replace SSRIs in their lacking efficacy. For me personally the only things that helped over long were radical mental discipline (daily mindfulness, cognitive behavior therapy), daily exercise, nutritional changes and a willingness to be comfortable being uncomfortable to make those changes.
> A wide range of things affect cytokines, nutrition and exercise are central, but also cognitive stress and sleep
If that is true, you get best sleep when using Ashwagandha and its effect on stress, like I said previously is well studied.
https://examine.com/supplements/ashwagandha/
it is there for centuries and affects in a multitude of ways for a body to bring it into balance in every front. In ayurveda, if a practitioner or doctor was unable to diagnose a disease properly, they simply give them Ashwagandha, as it will work or fail to but never works adversely. I still strongly recommend trying it with any other interventions you mentioned like exercise, etc. I never discouraged any other interventions. It helped me personally, so I am inclined to suggest it to others who are hopeless at the moment. Like I said, zero harm. I never suggested it as a one shot solution. People with depression need more caring than any other.
I've used that at times, and it's been somewhat beneficial some of the time.
But there's no silver bullet and no one-size-fits-all approach.
The causes are complex and different from one person to another, so a complete recovery will require multiple forms of treatment and a tailored approach.
I've used it occasionally before bed and it did seem to reduce stress, but I'm not sure how much it was placebo.
It might be for some important reason to keep your body in homeostasis while dealing with a different problem.
Other literature I’ve read suggests that, for this very reason, prolonged use of adaptogens (including maca, rhodiola, ginseng) is inadvisable.
In my own case, I suspect it may have led to problems (e.g., caused HPA axis to slow down further) after a while, having shown benefits in the beginning.
Long story short: the body always fights back.