St John's Wort for Depression

The debate over the effectiveness of St John’s Wort in fighting depression now has added fuel. Three recent clinical trials and a critical review of the literature have examined whether the herbal supplement is an effective treatment for depression. The data all indicate that St John’s Wort is indeed safe and effective for people who are mild to moderately depressed. The evidence on how it affects moderate-to-severe depression remains unclear.

By Jill Shuman, M.S., E.L.S.
Content provided by Revolution Health Group

This is particularly newsworthy because two prior studies - including a 2002 study sponsored by the National Center on Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institute of Health in the US suggested that St John’s Wort was no more effective than a placebo in treating mild to moderate depression.

Hyla Cass, M.D., chairwoman of complementary and alternative medicine at the American University of Complementary Medicine in Los Angeles, maintains that in her own practice of using St John's Wort she has found that people “respond well and really appreciate the lack of side effects and not feeling 'medicated’."

St John’s Wort is already used extensively in Western Europe. In Germany, for example, doctors often turn to traditional antidepressants only after a trial of St John’s Wort has not been successful. 

St John’s What?
St John's Wort (Hypericum) is a roadside weed that has been used for centuries to treat a variety of disorders. In 350 BC, the Greek physician and writer Hippocrates prescribed the herb’s extracts for relief from such ailments as dysentery, tuberculosis, malaria, hemorrhage, jaundice, colds, insomnia and hysteria. Today, St John's Wort is used primarily to relieve the symptoms of depression, anxiety and sleep disorders.
 
The flowering tops of St John's Wort are used to prepare teas and tablets containing concentrated extracts of the active ingredients hypericin or hyperforin.

Many folks who regularly take St John’s Wort note improvements in overall mood and sleep.

 Researchers believe that the antidepressant effect of St John’s Wort is due to its inhibition of serotonin uptake by certain receptors in the brain - the same mechanism attributed to many widely prescribed antidepressant drugs.

Do not expect instant results. Like other antidepressants, St John’s Wort requires several weeks before its antidepressant effects take hold.

Although St John’s Wort is generally considered safe, it can cause undesirable interactions with herbs, other supplements or prescription medicines, and is not to be used if you’re pregnant or nursing. It is recommended that you seek advice from a qualified health-care professional before taking the herb.