St Johns Wort Hot

St. John's wort is a plant with yellow flowers that today is used as a herbal supplement for the treatment of mild to moderate depression, anxiety and sleep disorders. Its first medicinal use is thought to have been in ancient Greece. The name St. John's wort apparently refers to John the Baptist, as the plant blooms around the time of the feast of the Saint in late June.

The Latin name for the plant is Hypericum perforatum while common names include St. John's wort, hypericum, Klamath weed and goat weed. Hypericum is thought to be the most active compound found in the plant and most St. John's wort supplements are standardized to 0.3% hypericum.

The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Medline Plus website reports that St. John's wort is at least as effective as tricyclic antidepressants (e.g. amitriptyline) in the treatment of mild to moderate depression and maybe even more effective. Compared to the newer selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants such as fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft®) the NIH say there is less evidence but studies so far suggest St. John's wort may be equally as effective with fewer side-effects.

In conclusion the NIH says "Overall, the scientific evidence supports the effectiveness of St. John's wort in mild-to-moderate major depression. The evidence in severe major depression remains unclear."

The exact way(s) by which St. John's wort exerts its antidepressant effects are yet to be determined but studies have suggested it works by a variety of mechanisms. It is thought to be a mild monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) (which is how older MAOI antidepressant drugs like Parnate worked), it blocks reuptake of serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline like newer drugs and it also reduces the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the stress response system of the body. To learn more see this research paper.

As with any medication, herbal remedy or nutritional supplement St. John's wort has side-effects. Some of these include increased sensitivity to sunlight, dizziness, gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, headache, or sexual dysfunction. The herb also interferes with the cytochrome P450 enzymes in the liver which metabolize certain drugs and can thus interfere with the action of certain medications. You should therefore talk to your doctor if you are using St. John's wort and are on other medications (See Medline Plus for more details).

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