The leaves and petals of the common herb, St John’s wort,
contain a number of unique substances such as hypericin and
hyperforin that have an antidepressant action.
In fact, it may be as effective in treating mild to moderate
depression as some prescription-only medications. One study,
published in the British Medical Journal, tested the effectiveness
of St John’s wort against the tricyclic antidepressant drug,
imipramine, in 324 people attending outpatient clinics in Germany.
Improvements in mood were equivalent for both groups of patients,
but those taking St John’s wort also showed a significant
improvement in anxiety about their health and the herbal remedy was
better tolerated than the drug.
A similar study suggests St John’s wort is also as effective
as another type of antidepressant drug, sertraline, which belongs
to a group known as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
(SSRIs). St John’s wort is thought to work by prolonging the
action of a brain neurotransmitter, serotonin. It also seems to
dampen down the high levels of stress hormones (eg cortisol) seen
in people who are depressed, as well as increasing night-time
production of melatonin hormone (the brain’s own natural
sedative) to improve sleep. St John’s wort is also helpful
for women with premenstrual syndrome. A pilot study of nineteen
with PMS showed there was a significant reduction in symptoms, with
two thirds of participants experiencing at least a 50% decrease in
their severity. n
Ref:
Woelk H. 2000 Comparison of St John´s wort and imipramine for
treating depression: randomised controlled trial. BMJ.
321;7260:536-9. Van Gurp G et al. 2002St John´s wort or
sertraline? Randomized controlled trial in primary care. Can Fam
Physician. 48:905-12. Stevinson C, Ernst E. 2000 A pilot study of
Hypericum perforatum for the treatment of premenstrual syndrome.
BJOG. 107;7:870-6.
back to the top »