Despite Numerous Studies, Final Verdict Still Not In On St. John's Wort And Depression

Main Category: Depression
Also Included In: Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine;  Psychology / Psychiatry;  Mental Health
Article Date: 31 Jan 2007 - 13:00 PST

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The best-known, most-studied herbal treatment for depression today is St. John's Wort. Also known as Hypericum Perforatum (its Latin name), it's a yellow flower that grows in warm to moderate climates, including the southeastern United States.

It has a 2,400-year history of safe and effective usage in folk, herbal, and ancient medicine. In fact, rumor has it that Hypericum was prescribed as medicine by Hippocrates himself.

Taken alone, it is safe and has few side effects.

A recommended dose of 900 mg a day of St. John's Wort costs $.30 to $1.50 a day, with the standard prescribed antibiotic costing anywhere from $.30 to $2.

The original studies of St. John's Wort were conducted in the early 1990s in Germany and concluded that the herb was at least more effective than a placebo when treating the symptoms of depression and, in some cases, as effective as prescription antidepressants.

Since then, numerous tests have been conducted on St. John's Wort in the U.S., most notably a 2001 multi-center study that, at the time, was considered one of the most rigorous studies on the herb to date, with results published in the May 2001 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

The "findings weren't very promising for advocates of the herb," according to Dr. J. R. DePaulo Jr., author of "Understanding Depression," which was published in 2002, shortly after the studies findings were made public.

Since that time, however, there have been other studies that contradict this.

For example, a 2006 study involving 150 patients with minor depressive symptoms found that St. John's Wort had a clinically significant effect in patients with minor depression, but not those suffering from dysthymia (a chronic, less severe form of depression lasts for at least two years).

In this more recent study, it was concluded that St. John's Wort can, in fact, be effective in the treatment of people with minor depression, by increasing the level of Serotonin (chemical messenger in the brain that affects emotions, behavior, and thought).

Because low levels of serotonin have been associated with clinical depression, advocates of the herbal treatment believe that it is a tool that can be used to combat the frustrating symptoms of depression, working much like some prescription antidepressants.

Other medical studies show that from 50 to 80 percent of depressed patients who take St. John's Wort have a significant decrease in the symptoms of depression and a corresponding increase in well being. This success rate is the same as that of prescription antidepressants, according to Hypericum.com.

This opens new avenues of treatment for the eighteen million people in this country who have depression -- especially the twelve million who are not currently receiving any treatment whatsoever.

St. John's Wort should not be taken in conjunction with prescription antidepressants. And, before starting on the herbal treatment, it is important to first consult a physician, especially if you are already taking other medications.

While St. John's Wort is generally well tolerated, there are some reports of side effects, including gastrointestinal symptoms, dizziness, confusion, tiredness and sedation. This herbal remedy may also interact with other drugs making them less effective such as medications to treat heart disease, certain cancers, seizures and HIV.

Additionally, St John's Wort may rarely cause photosensitivity. This can lead to visual sensitivity to light and to sunburns in situations that would not normally cause them.

Some research shows that St John's Wort may also adversely effect fertility in both men and women and that it does interact with birth control pills and may reduce the effectiveness of the oral contraceptive.

The herb, which can be purchased in capsule form, in teas and in oils, is more commonly used in European countries, but is gaining in popularity in the U.S. because of its over-the-counter availability, low cost and minimal side effects.

About the Author

Kellie Fowler is an award-winning writer and has written for Associated Press, PR Newswire, Fortune 500 companies, newspapers, national business and healthcare magazines. She is a regular contributor to Depression Help Resource, a website providing information about natural remedies for depression, treatment options, articles and resources.

C. Randløv, J. Mehlsen, C.F. Thomsen, C. Hedman, H. von Fircks and K. Winther.
"The efficacy of St. John's Wort in patients with minor depressive symptoms or dysthymia - a double-blind placebo-controlled study"
Phytomedicine. 2006 March

www.depression-help-resource.com

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