>Home>Anti-Aging Nutrition>Herbal Remedies>St. Johns Wort

St. Johns Wort

A Herbal Remedy for Depression

St Johns Wort has been used for centuries to treat mental disorders and nerve pain.

Doctors and herbalists also used it as a sedative and treatment for malaria as well as a balm for wounds, burns, and insect bites.

St. Johns wort is commonly used to treat mild to moderate depression, anxiety and sleep disorders. Clinical studies have shown that it is an effective short-term treatment of mild to moderate depression, although is has not been proven effective against severe depression.

The active ingredients of St. Johns wort are hypericin and hyperforin. How these substances work is still unknown.

Studies suggest that they might prevent nerve cells in the brain from reabsorbing the chemical messenger serotonin, or by reducing levels of a protein involved in the body's immune system functioning.

St. Johns wort is a widely prescribed treatment for depression in Europe.

It is available in health food and vitamin stores in the US. St Johns wort is much cheaper and does not produce the unpleasant side effects common to most prescribed antidepressants.

Although St. Johns wort is one of the best selling herbal remedies on the market, its use is not without risk.

It can interact negatively with certain drugs used to control HIV infection and drugs used to treat cancer.

The herb may also interact with drugs that help prevent the body from rejecting transplanted organs. Using St. Johns wort limits these drugs' effectiveness.

Finally the herb’s long term effect on depression is questionable. Some physicians worry that use of St Johns wort may delay or replace more effective treatments and that depression left untreated can become quite severe.

Finally, there are reports of dry mouth, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, increased sensitivity to sunlight, and fatigue from taking St.Johns wort.

Talk to your doctor before taking this herb, especially if you are already taking prescribed medications.

This article is for informational purposes only. It does not purport to offer medical advice.

 

| Top | Herbs | AntiAging Nutrition | Home |