St. John’s Wort, known botanically as hypericum perforatum, is an aromatic perennial plant with golden flowers and leaves dotted with phytochemical-rich oil. The ancient Greeks used this plant for both the body and mind; the healing of wounds and the treatment of depression.
How Does St. John's Wort Treat Depression?
St. John’s Wort contains a number of medicinal ingredients which have been proven to treat mild to moderate depression. Extracts from the plant help elevate levels of neurotransmitters (biochemical messengers) in the brain such as serotonin, which affect mood. This occurs by enhancing natural blockage of the reuptake and breakdown of these neurotransmitters. It also decreases adrenal activity which is increased in depression and stress.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine this herb is as effective as conventional psychotropic drugs in treating many forms of depression and has far fewer and milder side effects. St. John’s Wort is among the most extensively studied herbal remedies and is fast becoming the most frequently used antidepressant in the world. In Germany where many of these clinical studies have taken place, St. John’s Wort is successfully used to treat depression eight times more often than prescription drugs.
Is St. John's Wort Safe?
Like all medications and supplements, herbal extracts must be taken consistently in the correct dosages to be effective. The recommended dose is 900 milligrams of St. John’s Wort taken in a divided dosage two or three times a day is required and it may take up to four to six weeks for any benefits to be noticed. Additional medical uses for St. John's include helping the body fight disease through its strong antiviral and antibacterial properties and even treat pain and inflammation. St. John’s Wort oil is also used topically to treat bruises and wounds.
Side effects of St. John’s Wort include light-sensitivity, dry mouth, stomach irritations, dizziness and tiredness. It may also impact the effectiveness of prescription medications such as certain anticancer or chemotherapy drugs, birth control and cold remedies.
St. John’s Wort should not be taken for a prolonged period of time to treat severe clinical depression such as bipolar disorder. Also called manic depression, bipolar disorder is characterized by disruptive mood swings, from restless irritability and euphoria to low listless periods of depression. Speak to a doctor before taking St. John's Wort for symptoms of depression or anxiety.
Related Articles:
Reference:
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: St. John's Wort (Accessed March 2, 2010)
Noreen Kassem - Noreen Kassem is a hospital doctor based in London, UK. She has extensive experience in clinical research and an undergraduate honors ...
