At the beginning of September I wrote a piece about light therapy in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). A common feature of SAD is low mood and depression and many individuals suffering from these kinds of symptoms would really prefer to take a natural alternative to conventional anti-depressant medications. One option to consider is the herb, St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum).
Historically St John’s wort has been used as a remedy for the treatment of depression and there is now quite a bank of medical and scientific evidence(1) confirming the effectiveness of this herb for aiding various mood disturbances. St John’s wort is a shrubby perennial plant with bright yellow flowers, named after St John the Baptist. Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that the herb could deter evil spirits but today it is mainly used as a natural, alternative to antidepressants. The herb has been routinely used in Germany for many years where doctors and health practitioners frequently prescribe supplements for the treatment of depression. The available supplements are made from the dried flowers of the plant.
Last year I wrote about a well carried out review which concluded that for people suffering from mild to moderate depression, St John’s wort can provide effective relief, similar to that of standard antidepressants but with fewer side effects.
Last month a paper was published (2) which commented on the above mentioned review paper, the author wanted to delve into assessing whether St John’s wort was also an effective treatment for major depression. The author concluded that “Hypericum (St John’s wort) extracts are more effective than placebo in people with major depression. They are similarly effective to standard antidepressants but with fewer side effects”. This is really interesting data as it now seems that St John’s wort can be used effectively in mild, moderate and major depression. The author comments that evidence for the use of this herb has been steadily increasing over the years and that most studies have shown that the herb is superior to placebo in alleviating depression. He also states that this research suggests “good evidence to assume that the risks associated with this herbal medicine are significantly less than those of synthetic antidepressants. This conclusion is also supported by data from observational and other non-randomised studies. The implications of all this are clear. St John’s wort extracts are effective antidepressants. Provided herb–drug interactions can be avoided, they are also safer than conventional drugs. Considering the current debate about the value of synthetic antidepressants, one wonders why they are not used more widely”.
I wonder about the same thing! The ‘herb-drug interactions’ that the author mentions are important to note – St John’s wort interacts with certain medications so it is vital to ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING ST JOHNS WORT SUPPLEMENTS.
The antidepressant properties of St John’s wort are thought to be ascribed to the compounds hypericin and hyperforin that are contained within the herb. It is not entirely known how the herb works to lift the mood but it seems to act on certain ‘feel-good’ brain chemicals (known as neurotransmitters) such as dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline.
The typical recommended dose is usually around 300mg of St John’s wort extract three times a day for supplements standardised to contain 0.3% hypericin. One a day supplements containing 900mcg hypericin are also available – but always check the manufacturers dosage instructions an ALWAYS check with a doctor before taking the herb. It may take 4 weeks before you see any benefit. Side effects are uncommon, however in people with fair skin it is advisable to avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight whilst taking the herb.
St John’s Wort also seems useful for the treatment of other mood disturbances such as anxiety, apathy, insomnia, stress and SAD, if you think you could benefit from taking St Johns wort I would suggest chatting with a health professional prior to undertaking a supplementation regimen.
Obviously depression is a multifactorial condition, if you are suffering with depression or low mood you may want to seek psychological help from a counsellor or therapist, look into relaxation techniques and read about other nutritional aids. A key nutrient that can be very effective in treating depression is the omega 3 essential fatty acid EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) which I hope to discuss in relation to depression soon.
(1) Linde K et al. 2008. St John’s wort for major depression. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Issue 3. Art. No.: CD000448. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000448.pub3
(2)Ernst E. 2009. Review: St John’s wort superior to placebo and similar to antidepressants for major depression but with fewer side effects. Evid Based Ment Health. 12(3):78.
Written by Ani Kowal
Related posts:
- Humble herb appears to handle depression as effectively as conventional anti-depressant treatment
- St John’s wort may ease hot flushes
- Could Saffron be useful for the treatment of depression?
- Beat the winter blues: Supplements and SAD
- Long chain omega 3 fatty acids may be helpful in treating depression
