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St. John's wort Overview

 

St. John's wort: Extracts of St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) have been recommended traditionally for a wide range of medical conditions, with the most common modern-day use being the treatment of depression. St. John's wort has been extensively studied in Europe over the last two decades, with more recent research in the United States. Short-term studies (one to three months) suggest that St. John's wort is more effective than placebo (sugar pill), and equally effective as tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) in .... Read more

Benefits of St. John's wort, rVita Treatment Chart

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Depression

St. John's wort for Depression
St. John's wort: Extracts of St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) have been recommended traditionally for a wide range of medical conditions, with the most common modern-day use being the treatment ....

 

Scientific:
Strong Scientific Evidence 9

Users:
  10.00

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Stress

St. John's wort for Stress

 

Scientific:
Unclear or Conflicting Evidence 7

Users:
  n/a

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User Experiences

St. John's Wort works to some degree for certain people with mild to medium depression, but few with serious depression. Despite claims to the contrary, there really isn't any magic bullet, alternative or traditional, that works for everyone. Antidepressants still have the best rate of success, particularly with counseling/therapy, although individuals often have to try a few medications before finding which work for them. There are some complimentary methods that help. Exercise, counseling (psychotherapy, especially cognitive-behavioral or dialectical-behavior therapies) and taking a good multivitamin that includes omega 3 and the B vitamins are proven to help many people. Any of these alone won't usually help as much as an antidepressant plus these complimentary methods.

In my Edmonds, Washington office, I see people for humanistic, supportive, strengths-oriented counseling, otherwise known as therapy or psychotherapy. I often use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) too, especially for people who are depressed. This thought changing approach has good evidence supporting its usefulness for people with depression. After all, many of our emotions arise from what we think. When we become stuck in our thinking, have habitually negative thoughts or tend to think self-deprecating, lack trust in others or experience guilty thoughts, we don't feel good about ourselves. We have choices and can choose more positive or neutral thoughts.
Jolyn Wells-Moran 4 months ago
I began taking St. John's wort and it relieved my depression within two days.
ARLEEN 5 months ago
I decided to take St. John's Wort instead of drugs prescribed (Prozac, Paxil, Miro). I am starting to feel better without side effects of those other drugs.
DESTINY 5 months ago

Expert Articles

Mita Majumdar
St. John's Wort and Depression
Posted by Mita Majumdar
7 months ago
 

News and Blogs

Efficacy of St. John's wort extract WS 5570 in acute treatment of mild depression: a reanalysis of data from controlled clinical trials.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Does St. John’s Wort help depression?  According to researchers at the Medical University of Vienna, St. John’s Wort is an effective treatment for mild depression.

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Efficacy of St. John's Wort Extract WS 5570 in Acute Treatment of Mild Depression: A Reanalysis of Data from Controlled Clinical Trials

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Does St. John’s Wort help depression? According to researchers at the Medical University of Vienna, St. John’s Wort is an effective treatment for mild depression.

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