What is St. Johns Wort? St. Johns Wort Facts

St John's wort, also known as Hypericum perforatum L., may be weedy and invasive in your garden, but it shows promise as a natural remedy for depression. The fresh, or dried, flower buds and blossoms are used in medicinal preparations. When placed in oil to make a salve, they produce a deep ruby red color.

Plant Characteristics: St. John's wort is an upright perennial that can grow to the height of three feet. Found growing wild in every U.S. state but Florida, Alabama, Arizona and Utah, it produces small yellow flowers with five petals. The U.S. Forest Service says St. John's wort contains bioactive compounds including choline, pectin, rutin, sitosterol, hyperforin, hypericin and pseudohypericin.

Traditional Use: Information gathered on the use of St. John's wort as a folk remedy by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) indicates it was employed both as an internal and external remedy. Internally it was used to treat malaria, mental disorders and nerve pain, externally a St. John's wort salve or oil was applied to burns, wounds and insect bites.

Depression: An open study on the use of a St. John's wort extract in the treatment of depressive symptoms exhibited by outpatients was conducted by the Department of Internal Medicine at the Institute of Complementary Medicine of the University Hospital in Zurich and showed a promising future for this herbal remedy. The results, published in the medical journal Forschende Komplementarmedizin, conclude "extracts of St. John's wort are effective as an antidepressant in the management of depression in daily practice." The best outcomes occurred in younger people with shorter durations of depressive episodes. Additionally, this natural remedy for depression produced no adverse reactions.

Drug Interactions: A systematic review of all available evidence compiled in Europe on interactions between the herbal remedy St. John's wort and medications by the Pharmacovigilance Group at the Medicines Control Agency in the United Kingdom were alarming. The results, published in the "British Journal of Pharmacology," said "the potential risks to patients were judged to be significant" and official labeling of the medications amended. Medication shown to have a negative interaction with St. John's wort includes, but is not limited to, "warfarin, phenprocoumon, cyclosporin, HIV protease inhibitors, theophylline, digoxin and oral contraceptives."

Side Effects:

You should look out for any side effects indicating an allergic or negative reaction, although use of St. John's wort internally and externally is considered generally safe. Anticipate that your skin might experience an increased sensitivity to sunlight and burn quicker than usual. The NCCAM wants you to know other side effects are, "anxiety, dry mouth, dizziness, gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, headache or sexual dysfunction." (ref2)