Studies that have found St. John's wort might be effective in treating mild to moderate depression have generally used 300 milligrams three times daily of St. John's wort extract standardized to contain 0.3 percent hypericin or 1 percent to 3 percent hyperforin. However, many people in real life find one capsule in the morning is sufficient.
St. John's Wort Extract, 300 mg - Natural Factors
Scientific research shows hat St. John's wort may
lighten mood and support a positive emotional balance. Remember that a sensible
program of diet and exercise can enhance the benefits of this standardized
herbal product. St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) is standardized to
contain 0.3% hypericin and 3% hyperiforin.
Hyperforin Rich
Mood Support
Benefits of St. John's wort
Depression -- St. John's wort is helpful in the therapy of
mild to moderate depression with fewer side effects than conventional pharmaceutical
antidepressants. The effect of St. John's wort may be noticed the first day, but often it
takes a few days or weeks for the full benefits of St. John's wort to occur. Some studies
indicate that St. John's wort may be as good an antidepressant as some of the SSRIs
such as Prozac and Zoloft. The usual St. John's wort dosage used by researchers
is 300 mg three times a day. However, most patients find, after a while, that
this St. John's wort dosage is too high and prefer to reduce the frequency to
once or twice a day.
Diet is very
important in beating depression.
PMS -- St. John's wort has been found to be partially helpful in treating PMS.
Weight loss -- St. john's wort may be helpful in appetite control when combined with
other natural supplements. For more information on natural diet pills, see
diet rx pill
info
St. John's Wort supplement active ingredients
St. John's wort has numerous compounds that influence its actions, including
naphthodianthrones hypericin and pseudohypericin, a broad range of flavonoids,
and the phloroglucinols hyperforin and adhyperforin. It appears that most or all
of these compounds are contributing to the mood enhancing properties of this
plant extract.
Side effects of St. John's Wort
The most common side effect of
St. John's wort is insomnia,
which is likely to be worse on higher doses.
Headaches and irritability or anxiety have also been reported. Convulsions have
been associated with an overdose of St John's wort. Long term use of St. John's
wort may damage the retina of the eye if the eyes are exposed to strong
sunlight.
St. John's Wort supplement and long term use
There is always a concern when taking a particular herb for
prolonged periods. Thus far, it does not seem that St. John's wort has any significant
side effects (particularly compared to standard pharmaceutical antidepressants). However, I
often recommend taking breaks from a supplement every few weeks. It also depends on
dosage. If a person is only taking one pill a day, they can continue taking this much
longer that someone taking three pills a day.
One study indicates St. John's wort
does not influence heart rate variability.
St. John's Wort Extract, 300
mg, 180 Capsules - Natural Factors
Scientific research shows hat St. John's Wort may
lighten mood and support a positive emotional balance. Remember that a sensible
program of diet and exercise can enhance the benefits of this standardized
herbal product. St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is standardized to
contain 0.3% hypericin and 3% hyperiforin.
St. John's wort and weight
loss
St. John's wort herb is mostly used by consumers for mood elevation. Few studies
have evaluated its effectiveness of this herb as a natural weight loss remedy.
St. John's wort and ephedra were the two primary ingredients in herbal phen-fen
promoted years ago before ephedra was banned by the FDA in 2004. St. John's wort
has potential harmful interactions with antidepressants, birth control pills,
blood thinners, heart medications and dextromethorphan (contained in various
cold remedies). The use of St. John's wort for weight loss has not been studied
well. A good alternative to weight loss is Diet Rx. See also 5-HTP
information for weight loss and depression treatment.
St. John's Wort Caution
Reduce exposure to sunlight when you take St. John's wort. One
study has indicated that in the presence of light, hypericin (a component of St. John's
wort) can induce changes in lens protein that could lead to the formation of cataracts.
Appropriate precautions should be taken to protect the eye from intense sunlight while
taking St. John's wort.
St. John’s wort may
interfere with oral contraceptives. St John's wort is an inducer of
cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A enzymes and may reduce the efficacy of oral
contraceptives.
St. John's wort interacts
with many medicines, including antidepressants, so caution is advised when combining this
herb with other medicines. Combining St. John's wort with SSRIs or other
pharmaceutical antidepressants should only be done under medical supervision
since their effects are additive and it is possible that the combination could
cause serotonin syndrome.
St. John's wort may increase metabolism of
certain drugs such as indinavir used in treating HIV. The mechanism is likely due to st.
john's wort inducing the production of cytochrome P450 3A, an enzyme that breaks down
certain drugs, but the specifics of this interaction are not yet clear. St. John's wort
may also interefere with the metabolism of Camptosar, a medicine used to treat some kinds
of cancer.
Certain formulations of
St. John's wort seem to reduce levels of digoxin, a drug that helps the heart to
pump in people who have heart failure. If the digoxin level falls too low, the
drug may not provide a beneficial effect. St. John's formulations rich in
chemicals called hypericin and hyperforin seemed to reduce blood-stream levels
of digoxin. There were no interactions, however, when volunteers took
"traditionally used" St. John's wort preparations. The hypericin- and hyperforin-rich
formulations produce their effect by turning on enzymes that break down digoxin.
St. John's Wort Research Update
Is St. John’s Wort an Anti-inflammatory Herb? -- For many
centuries St. John’s Wort has been used in Europe to treat a variety of
conditions including infections and depression. Compounds within this herb, one
being hypericum, have very strong biological activity, including the ability to
reduce inflammation and fight against bacterial infections. In a study conducted
at Ege University, in Izmir, Turkey, scientists investigated the in vitro
effects of three Hypericum species, on human white blood cell myeloperoxidase (MPO)
activity. MPO is a major component of the antimicrobial system of white blood
cells. MPO helps the conversion of hydrogen peroxide and chloride to
hypochlorous acid. Hypochlorous acid is a strong oxidant produced by white blood
cells that contributes to inflammatory tissue damage. The researchers found that
hypericum in St. John’s wort reduces the oxidative activity of white blood
cells, thus potentially reducing damage from oxidation.
Comments: It appears that St. John’s wort has
many roles to play in the human body. For now, the most common use for St.
John’s wort is as an antidepressant. Even though studies have used 300 mg three
times a day, I find that most people notice some uplifting in mood even with 300
mg once a day in the morning. High doses could cause insomnia.
An open-label pilot study of St. John's wort in juvenile
depression.
Findling RL.
Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals
of Cleveland, USA.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2003 Aug;42(8):908-14.
This pilot study examined the effectiveness, safety, tolerability,
and pharmacodynamics of Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) in the treatment
of youths diagnosed with major depressive disorder. METHOD: Youths 6 to 16 years
of age meeting DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder with depressive
symptoms of at least moderate severity were eligible to enroll between January
1999 and January 2001 in this 8-week, prospective, open-label, outpatient study.
Outcome measures included the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R)
and the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scale. A priori criteria for response
consisted of a CDRS-R score of </=28 and a CGI severity score </=2. Patients
were initially prescribed 150 mg St. John's wort three times daily. If at the
end of week 4 the patient did not meet a priori response criteria, the dose was
increased to 300 mg three times daily. RESULTS: Thirty-three youths with a mean
(SD) age of 10.5 (2.9) years were enrolled. After 4 weeks of St. John's wort
therapy, 22 youths had their dose increased to 900 mg/day. Twenty-five of the
patients met response criteria after 8 weeks of treatment. Overall, St. John's
wort was well tolerated. CONCLUSION: St. John's wort may be an effective
treatment for youths diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Placebo
controlled trials seem indicated.
Efficacy of St. John's wort extract WS 5570 in major depression: a
double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Lecrubier Y,.
Unite Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale 302, Hopital
Pitie Salpetriere, Paris, France.
Am J Psychiatry. 2002 Aug;159(8):1361-6.
In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with 375
patients the authors investigated the antidepressant efficacy and safety of 300
mg t.i.d. of hydroalcoholic Hypericum perforatum extract WS 5570. METHOD: The
study participants were male and female adult outpatients with mild to moderate
major depression (single or recurrent episode, DSM-IV criteria). After a
single-blind placebo run-in phase, the patients were randomly assigned, 186 to
St. John's Wort and 189 to placebo, after which they received double-blind treatment for
6 weeks. Follow-up visits were held after 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks. The primary
outcome measure was the change from baseline in the total score on the 17-item
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. In addition, analyses of responders (patients
with at least a 50% reduction in Hamilton total score) and patients with
remissions (patients with a total score of 6 or less on the Hamilton scale at
treatment end) were carried out, and subscale/subgroup analyses were conducted.
The design included an adaptive interim analysis performed after random
assignment of 169 patients with options for group size adjustment or early
termination. RESULTS: Compared to placebo, WS 5570 produced a significantly
greater reduction in total score on the Hamilton depression scale and
significantly more patients with treatment response or remission. It was more
effective in patients with higher baseline Hamilton scores and led to global
reduction of depression-related core symptoms, assessed with the melancholia
subscale of the Hamilton scale. The placebo and St. John's Wort groups had comparable
adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: H. perforatum extract WS 5570 was found to be safe
and more effective than placebo for the treatment of mild to moderate
depression.
St. John's wort purity
Some St. John's wort herbal supplements on the market are contaminated
with cadmium, one product is also contaminated with lead, while others have less
of the herb's active ingredients than their labels claim, so claims consumer
lab. Just four of the products White Plains, New York-based ConsumerLab.com
tested met quality standards. Dr. Tod Cooperman, the president of
ConsumerLab.com, found two of the products, Solaray Organically Grown Excipient-Free
St. John's Wort and Wal-Mart's house brand, Spring Valley Standardized Extract
St. Johns Wort, had levels of cadmium above World Health Organization guidelines
for herbal products. The Spring Valley product also had lead levels exceeding
California state guidelines. Four of the products ConsumerLab tested actually
contained the concentration of these ingredients claimed on their label,
including Sundown Standardized Extract St. John's Wort 300 mg, Doctor's Trust
Vitamins St. John's Wort Extract, Gaia Herbs St. John's Wort Extra Strength, and
Kira St. John's Wort. Nature's Bounty Standardized Extract St. John's Wort 300
mg, whose makers voluntarily sought ConsumerLab certification, also met the
company's quality standards.
St. John's wort
supplement emails
Q. Is St. johns wort stronger than kava kava?
A. They are different. St. John's wort is better suited for
depression while kava is helpful for
anxiety.
Q. After taking a capsule of St. John Wort -- about
half an hour of taking it -- I experienced a sharp pain in the left side of my
stomach *never have had this kind of pain before* ... it went away so I didn't
give it great importance. The next morning I took another capsule of same -- to
my distress -- the very same morning, I detected that my left eye had bled very
badly (never in my life I had experienced this problem) -- to this symptom, the
most choking to me was the bleeding that I noticed coming from my left arm (I
couldn't believe it, for there was no cut or opening in my skin) ... trying to
disregard what I was seeing ( bleeding with no obvious opening) I cleaned it up,
but then confirmation came that it was really blood coming from a healthy skin,
more drops of bloods start coming out, and then I started seeing small patches
of red (blood) under the skin of my hands and lower arms, they looked like red
scratches ) ... after that, when I used the toilet, I noticed that the toilet
tissue was stained with some blood. When I went to the doctor, my blood pressure
was unusually high for me (the first time in my life that my blood pressure got
this high) for all of my life, my pressure has been in the very low levels! The
doctors couldn't give any explanations (they never heard anything about it, of
blood coming from a healthy skin) and to me ... this still a mistery! I have
tried to consult with other professional people and research about it, but so
far ... haven't found the answer ... my question: Do you think that St. John
Wort could in some way thin the blood or change the structure of the blood
cells, to cause this so strange reactions to the body? I'm positive to believe
that this herb caused all these various symptoms, for this was the only new
product that I started taking that day, of course, I discontinued it inmediately
... these side effects have not returned since then!
A. Strange, we have never had these St. John's wort side effects
reported to us before.
Q. I noticed advice on St. John's wort on different web
site as to "occasional use only" whereas others say take 3 capsules of St.
John's wort a day. So I'm wondering what you feel constitutes "occasional" . Is
there a loading dose followed by a maintenance dose that you'd recommend, or
what? I've read elsewhere it takes up to six weeks to have any beneficial effect
from taking a St. John's wort supplement.
A. Everyone is different as to their response to the benefit of St.
John's wort so there is no standard dosage. Some people may do fine with one
capsule every few days while others may need more than one a day. We have had
reports of St. John's wort providing benefits within a few days whereas others
mention that it took several weeks. Most people do notice a benefit within a few
days.
Q. Is it okay to take a mangosteen supplement which has
xanthones and so does St. John's wort together with Paxil or other SSRI drugs? I
know you have to be cautious using St. John's wort with these medicationss. and
it contains xanthones in it.
A. As far as we know, St. John's wort does not have a large amount
of xanthones and interactions with SSRI drugs would likely be due to hyperforin
and hypericin and similar substances. Mangosteen is a safe supplement and one
capsule a day should not interfere with medicines.
Q. I need help withdrawing from st. john's wort
supplement. I have not been able to locate a doctor who is very knowledgeable
about st.j ohn's wort supplement and especially the withdrawal process from it.
Is there any advice you could give me? I take a 1 300mg capsule daily and have
been doing so for roughly 7 months. I am considering getting 300mg tablets that
I can more easily and perhaps accurately break up. Is there a safer and more
effective way so that I can taper down very gradually?
A. Studies have not been done regarding the best way to withdraw
from the use of St. John's wort supplements. One option is take half a capsule,
another is to take a capsule every other day, then every third day, etc. Please
discuss with your doctor since each person is different in their needs and
requirements and withdrawal process.
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