St. John’s Wort -
Herbal Remedies Notes
Stress, anxiety, mild-to-moderate
depression
St. John’s wort contains hypericin, flavonoids,
xanthones, and hyperforin. It is well known for
its soothing, anti-depressant properties. It is
often used to improve the irritable, stressed
disposition of individuals trying to break their
addiction to tobacco and alcohol. NSP offers
Lobelia/St. John’s Wort for smokers and Kudzu/St.
John’s Wort for drinkers.
Studies have shown St. John’s wort to be
beneficial in many cases of mild to moderate
depression (by improving serotonin
neurotransmitter levels) with fewer side effects
than popular tricyclic antidepressants such as
imipramine. Benefits are usually noticed within 3
days to 3 weeks.
Research: Studies suggest that St. John’s wort (99 clinical trials) may exert their
antidepressant actions by inhibiting the reuptake
of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine,
and dopamine.1 This action is possibly
due to the constituent hyperforin. St. John’s wort
is able to act as an antidepressant, by making
more of these neurotransmitters available to the
brain. In a recent double blind multi-center
clinical trial, St. John’s wort was found to work
just as well as sertraline for moderate depression
with even fewer side effects.2 (1) Müller WE, Rolli M, Schäfer C, Hafner U.
Pharmacopsychiatry 1997;30(suppl):102–7.
(2)
Gastpar M, Singer A, Zeller K. Pharmacopsychiatry.
2005 Mar;38(2):78-86.
