St. John’s Wort Helps Major Depression

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St. John's Wort Helps Major Depression

 

An herb used for centuries to treat depression works just as well as

some commonly prescribed antidepressants. A new review found that St.

John's wort is effective for treating major depression, especially in

Germany, where it seems to work particularly well, and other countries

where it is routinely prescribed by doctors to treat mild symptoms of

depression.

 

Experts evaluated 29 studies from various countries that included

almost 5,500 patients suffering from major depression. The randomized,

double-blind studies compared patients treated with St. Johns wort to

those treated with either placebo or tri-/tetracyclic antidepressants,

such as Remeron, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs),

such as Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil.

 

The reviewers found that St. Johns wort was more effective than

placebo and " similarly effective " as standard antidepressants in

treating major depression.

 

St. John's wort, an extract of the plant Hypericum perforatum L.,

contains at least seven groups of active components and scientists

aren't sure exactly which ones are effective. The reviewers also noted

that the amounts of hypericum fluctuate in various brands of St.

John's wort and some may not contain optimum amounts. " There is no

patent protection on herbs; therefore, more or less anyone can market

hypericum extracts, " said lead reviewer Klaus Linde of the Center for

Complementary Medicine Research at Technical University in Munich.

 

The St. John's wort products used in the studies were high-quality

products. Daily dosages ranged from 500 to 1,200 milligrams.