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St. John’s Wort Again Proven Better than Antidepressant Drugs
Natural News
Monday, July 6, 2009
The popular herbal extract St. John’s wort is more effective at treating the symptoms of depression than any antidepressant drug, and has fewer side effects, researchers from the Centre for Complementary Medicine in Munich have concluded.
“Overall, the St John’s Wort extracts tested in the trials were superior to placebo, similarly effective as standard anti-depressants, and had fewer side effects than standard anti-depressants,” lead researcher Klaus Linde said.
In a study published by the Cochrane Library, the researchers compiled the results of 29 prior trials, involving a total of 5,489 participants who were randomly assigned either St. John’s wort, a placebo, tricylclic antidepressants or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to treat mild to moderately severe depression. All studies were double-blind, meaning that neither patients nor researchers knew what kind of treatment each participant was receiving.
St. John’s wort was found to be more effective than a placebo and at least as effective as both tricylics and SSRIs, but with fewer side effects. Patients receiving the herbal treatment were significantly less likely to drop out of studies due to negative side effects than those assigned to take tricyclic antidepressants.
The researchers called their study the most thorough to date, and possibly the first to show that St. John’s wort is effective at treating not only mild, but also severe depression (also known as major depression).
St. John’s wort, known officially as Hypericum perforatum, is a native European perennial herb with distinctive yellow flowers and now grows wild in many parts of the Americas as well. It derives its common name from the tradition of harvesting its flowers on St. John’s day (June 24). Also known as Klamath weed or Tipton’s weed, the plant has been used for centuries as an herbal remedy for depression and sleeping problems.
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In recent years, the popularity of the herbal antidepressant has soared as new concerns continue to emerge over pharmaceutical antidepressants, especially SSRIs. In Germany, doctors regularly prescribe it to children and teenagers. In the United Kingdom, it is currently used by two million people.
SSRIs have been shown to significantly increase the risk of suicide in those under the age of 18, and evidence suggests that they may have a similar effect on adults, as well. Recent evidence has also linked use of the drugs by pregnant women with an elevated risk of oral and heart-related birth defects.
With Western health care systems emphasizing drugs for the treatment of mental illness, however, many doctors feel they have no alternatives but to prescribe tricyclics or SSRIs, in spite of the risk. The new study may lead more doctors to prescribe St. John’s wort instead.
Another recent study, conducted by St. James’ University Hospital in Leeds, England, found that St. John’s wort was the only herbal supplement effective at treating depression, in contrast to cat’s claw, ginseng, gingko biloba, liquid tonic and royal jelly.
Researchers remain unsure precisely how St. John’s wort works, in part because the plant contains chemicals from at least seven different families. The most favored explanation is that the herb acts much like an SSRI, slowing the rate at which the neurotransmitter serotonin is removed from the brain. The chemical hyperforin is posited by some as the most active chemical agent in the herb, and has been linked to slowed uptake of not only serotonin but also the neurotransmitters dopamine, noradrenaline, GABA and glutamate. St. John’s wort extracts from which hyperforin has been removed, however, have still been shown to function as effective antidepressants.
Hyperforin has also been shown to have antibacterial properties and appears to reduce alcohol consumption in those that take it.
Linde and colleagues did offer a few caveats to their findings. In the first place, they said that anyone who decides to take St. John’s wort should inform their doctor, since the herb can react with certain prescription drugs, sometimes dangerously. A handful of cases have been reported of liver failure caused by a combination of liver drugs with St. John’s wort, and the extract can also reduce the effectiveness of cholesterol drugs and hormonal contraceptives. Those who mix St. John’s wort with blood thinners or pharmaceutical antidepressants may increase their risk of stroke. People should also not assume that there is no risk at all of side effects, as these do sometimes occur – albeit significantly less frequently than with pharmaceuticals.
In addition, St. John’s wort extracts are far from standardized, and it can be hard to know what you’re getting.
“There is no patent protection on herbs; therefore, more or less anyone can market hypericum extracts,” Linde said. “The products on the market vary enormously in their quality and content in active ingredients.”
This means that some extracts may be more effective than others; Linde expressed doubt in particular about the effectiveness of those containing less than 300 milligrams in a daily dose.
But research suggests that even a weak supplement might be a better bet than a pharmaceutical antidepressant, even if it only functions as a low-risk placebo.
“There’s a whole body of literature now that shows placebo can have a direct effect on the pathways of the brain and work like an antidepressant,” said Charles Raison of the Emory University School of Medicine.
St. John’s wort typically alleviates the symptoms of depression within two to four weeks. Pharmaceutical antidepressants typically act within a month and a half, although doctors prefer to see an improvement of symptoms within one week.
The “longer it takes [a traditional antidepressant] to work, the more vulnerable people are to have a relapse,” Raison said.
Sources for this story include: www.mailonsunday.co.uk; www.webmd.com; www.hbns.org.
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14 Responses to “St. John’s Wort Again Proven Better than Antidepressant Drugs”
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July 6th, 2009 at 9:32 am
I know herbs work they are spoken about in the bible. A very revealing source of information regarding how to fight against cancer. Read the book, World Without Cancer, by G. Edward Griffin. You can also view a film about his findings on you tube, or even Wide Eye Cinema website. What is so sad, is how polotics has got involved in medicine. And how wealty bankers, medicine manufacturing, education of our doctors is very corrupt, and involved in reducing the population! The truely sad part is how people no longer read anymore. The bible states, My people perish for a lack of knowledge. That is directly stating nobody reads to learn the difference between a truth and a lie! People do not know who is running our country, because they do not read history! The bible is history also! And the bible states how to get into heaven, thru our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but you have to belive and read his words his teachings, his promises.
davegotamessagefromYahWeh Reply:
July 6th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5676977.html
July 6th, 2009 at 10:14 am
St. John’s Wort is NOT better than other Anti-Depressant Drugs.
It works on some people some of the time.
I’m all for natural medicine but stick with the facts.
Anti-Depressants are HORRIBLE for your mental and physical health.
There are a number of other alternatives with the best Anti-Depressant being exercise, which could be just a walk in the park or around the block everyday. Say Hi to that neighbor you’ve never talked to. You’ll feel better about yourself. Do something new.
The first and foremost thing you can do is remove yourself from bad situations. If you are living with crazy or violent or mentally ill people MOVE somewhere else.
LRRP 1968 Reply:
July 6th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Exercise is better, playing with my grandchildren is the best therapy around. 30 minutes with them and nothing bothers me after that.
Gardening is another excellent anti-depressant
Ronda Reply:
July 6th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Exercise has worked better than anyting else for me. Haven’t tried St. Johns wort.
used to be proud brit Reply:
July 7th, 2009 at 3:13 am
The best thing for depression is the people around you to tell you to pull yourself together.
Ingesting drugs is not the key,they will just make mong out so you cant think.
Isnt that what they want?
Cant comment on st john`s` walt
July 6th, 2009 at 11:33 am
I exercise. Run , practice yoga, once a week lift weights. And it is effective overall for health and well being, primarily because our bodies were not ment to be static.” A body that is in motion tends to stay in motion.
St. Johns Wt. was just studied in this major double blind, placebo study, and it appears that the findings concluded that was “better” in that it is equally effective at treating the symptoms with less side effects.
I might add that the side effects mentioned in the above article for conventional drugs seemed way more severe than side effects mentioned for St. Johns Wt. Thus using St Johns Wt. over conventional drugs would be more coincident with Hippocrates first law of medicine which is “do no harm…”
In closing anything in excess can have negative side effects, even exercise.
July 6th, 2009 at 11:38 am
I have always believed in the healing powers of herbs and vitamins, although I have used modern medicine drugs. All that we need as far as medicine/healing, is provided for us by nature, even the cure for HIV and cancer..we just need to discover it. More research and money needs to be poured into natural healing, but of course the major drug companies are against that because it will take away their power and money.
youThinktheycantcureaidstheyinventedit Reply:
July 6th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5676977.html
AIDS CURE
July 6th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
you can also buy lightbulbs that mmick sunshine with all the chemtrails about you are lacking vitaminD….
depression is not curable by perscription drugs and many make you actually suicidal.
Ive known many people who had many side effects from these things serious side effects
look at their logos all eyes and 6’s just look with your eyes, youll see it look in the curly ques when they write the name of the drug. all over the tv.
I dont give a shit if you hate kevin truedo buy his book I lost over a hundred pounds of poisons and eat pizza and drink beer organic makes eveything. it isnt just beans sprouts and tofu. have your thyroid checked by alternative doctor.
July 6th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Who is ST John and who cares about his warts? LOL
July 6th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Good Article!
more St. Jon’s stuff..
http://www.nzhealth.net.nz/her.....wort.shtml
July 13th, 2009 at 9:11 am
Humans can produce some vitamins from precursors they consume. Examples include vitamin A, produced from beta carotene, and niacin, from the amino acid tryptophan.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Water-soluble vitamins are absorbed by the intestine and carried through the bloodstream. They are not stored in the body and must be taken daily in order to prevent deficiency.