St John’s Wort Blog

The numbers of patients who are taking prescription antidepressants has been rising steadily. According to CDC figures the use of these medications was increased 48% between 1995 and 2002. Many people are uncomfortable with the worrisome side effects of these prescription medications, and are unsure of their safety over the long term. As such, many have sought natural alternatives. Extracts of St John’s wort have been used for centuries to treat depression and sleep conditions.

A recent review compared the effects of St. John’s wort extracts tested in the different trials to placebos and standard antidepressants. Researchers reported in the Cochrane review (a journal that analyses medical and scientific studies) their findings of a meta-analysis. A meta-analysis is a review that combines the results of several studies to confirm the weight of evidence. For this review, data from 29 studies that included 5,489 men and women was analyzed.

Klaus Linde, from the Centre for Complementary Medicine in Munich, Germany, who led the study, stated that the 29 studies came from a variety of countries, tested several different St. John’s wort extracts, and mostly included patients suffering from mild to moderately severe symptoms. It was found that the St. John’s wort extracts tested in the trials were superior to placebos and as effective as standard antidepressants, with fewer side effects.

As the preparations available on the market might vary considerably in their pharmaceutical quality, the results of this review apply only to the products tested in the included studies. However, it can be extrapolated that quality St John’s wort preparations are more effective than placebo and may be as effective as prescription SSRIs such as fluoxetine (the active component of Prozac), with fewer side effects.