St. John’s Wort Versus Prescription Anti-Depressants

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a perennial herb native to Europe. It grows up to three feet in height and bears bright yellow flowers. The herb is best known as a cure for treating depression. Its foray into the American markets is fairly recent, as compared to Europe, where it has been a widely recognized cure for depression for a long time. The herb has been researched extensively, and several studies have concluded that St. John’s Wort serves as a viable alternative to prescribed medicines. Not only is it thought to be as effective or better as the latter, but also with fewer side effects.

The British Medical Journal in 1996, on the basis of twenty-three clinical trials concluded that St. John’s Wort is indeed an effective treatment for depression, both major and minor. A similar study was carried out in France as well, which involved the participation of 375 subjects. The objective was to compare the herb with a placebo. A daily dosage of 900 mg of St. John’s Wort (WS 5570) was found to be far more effective than a placebo.

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In 2007, the British Medical Journal published a study which compared St. John’s Wort to a prescription medicine. The study was carried out in several centers across Germany and went on for a period of three years, that is from 2000 to 2003. A total of 251 subjects, between the age of 18 and 70, participated in the study. All the subjects were patients of major or minor depression. The patients were divided into two groups, one group was given 900 mg daily dose of St. John’s Wort and the other one was given 20 mg of a pharmaceutical drug called Paroxetine, on a daily basis. The treatment period for each patient was six weeks, wherein they were given either of the two remedies and their progress was monitored. The final result was in favor of St. John’s Wort. The group that was given this herbal remedy as the treatment fared much better as compared to the group that was given paroxetine. On the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the decrease in the average total score of the former group was much more, three points to be precise, as compared to the other group.

The two groups were also monitored for side effects as well. In this aspect too, St. John’s Wort fared better as compared to Paroxetine. Those given St. John’s Wort suffered from 172 side effects, whereas the other group complained of as many as 269 side effects. The most common side effect for both groups was stomach upset.

St. John’s Wort is readily available as a dietary supplement in health stores in the United States of America. This dietary supplement is similar to the WS 5570 that was used in clinical trials. Apart from a cure for depression, the herb has other uses too. For instance, it can be used to bring down alcohol consumption and it also has antimicrobial properties.

Though a natural remedy, St. John’s Wort should not be consumed without first consulting a certified healthcare provider. According to the American Botanical Council, the herb tends to interact with other prescription drugs. Your healthcare provider will be able to tell you whether or not it is safe to consume St. John’s Wort with the drugs or dietary supplements you are already using.

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Hannah Green

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