ST JOHN'S WORT

St John's Wort contains a number of biologically active compounds, which includes hypericin, found in the flowers, and flavonoids.St John's Wort is most commonly used to treat depression and studies on the short-term treatment of mild to moderate depression have shown St. John's wort to be more effective than placebo and as effective as many prescription medications in reducing symptoms.
We offer a high-potency standardised extract.

St John's Wort Is As Effective As Brand Drugs Herb 'Has Fewer Side- Effects' in Treatment of Depression - February 2005

St John's wort is at least as effective in treating depression as a widely-prescribed antidepressant drug, according to research published today. A study by researchers in Germany compared the effectiveness of extract from the herb with the drug paroxetine - also known as seroxat - in treating patients with moderate or severe depression.

The team concluded that the herb was just as effective, if not better, than paroxetine, and patients experienced fewer side- effects. In past trials, St John's wort has been shown to be better than dummy pills to treat mild to moderate depression, but its effectiveness in treating patients with more severe depression has been disputed. Last year, experts called for doctors to use alternative therapies to treat mental illness rather than automatically prescribing anti-depressants, especially in milder cases as there was the possibility of sideeffects, including suicidal thoughts and self-harm.

Also, the number of antidepressant prescriptions in the UK has tripled in 10 years to more than three million in 2002/2003, while the cost has more than quadrupled over the same period to more than pounds-55m. In the latest study, researchers used patients with moderate to severe depression to test St John's wort and paroxetine - from a class of anti-depressant known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The two substances were given to the patients, aged 18 to 70, for six weeks. At the end of the trial, half of those taking St John's wort (61 out of 122) found that their depressive symptoms were in decline, but only a third of those on paroxetine (43 out of 122) went into remission.

The patients on paroxetine also suffered more side-effects, with 269 adverse effects reported during the six-week trial. Those on St John's wort reported 172 adverse effects. In both cases, the most common sideeffect was stomach disorders. The researchers concluded: "Our results support the use of hypericum extract WS 5570 (St John's wort) as an alternative to standard anti-depressants in moderate to severe depression, especially as it is well tolerated. "As in any effective antidepressant, potential interactions with other drugs deserve clinical attention." They called for further research to confirm their findings.