The active chemical in magic mushrooms could prove to be a powerful antidepressant, a new review finds.

Psilocybin outperformed a variety of control treatments in easing symptoms of depression, researchers recently reported in the BMJ.

Control groups received either placebo medications, the dietary supplement niacin (vitamin B) or microdoses of psychedelics.

“This review’s findings on psilocybin’s efficacy in reducing symptoms of depression are encouraging for its use in clinical practice as a drug intervention for patients with primary or secondary depression,” concluded the research team led by Athina- Marina Metaxa, a master’s student with the University of Oxford’s Department of Medicine in the U.K.

Depression affects an estimated 300 million people worldwide, an increase of nearly 20% over the past decade, researchers said.

Psilocybin has shown promise in reducing depression symptoms after one or two doses, with few side effects and no apparent risk of addiction, researchers said.

To provide an overview of where research stands, a U.K. team examined data from seven clinical trials involving 436 people with depression.

Psilocybin provided a significantly greater change in depression scores than any of the control treatments, results show.

The treatment effects of psilocybin were significantly more powerful among patients who had depression alongside another mental illness and when participants had previously used psychedelics, researchers found.

However, more evidence is needed to support psilocybin as an antidepressant, researchers said.

“Real-world” data is also needed, to assess effectiveness as well as costs, they said, noting that psychedelic therapy could be a viable but “expensive” intervention.