St. John's wort is making a comeback as a blues-beater in fighting depression
St. John's Wort (SJW), also known as hypericum, is a perennial herb grown in Europe, Asia and Africa. In ancient times SJW was reported as a treatment for healing wounds and easing pain. In a review of recent clinical studies the herb eased depression and was as effective as standard antidepressants at least some of the time. In a German study 251 adults with moderate to severe-but not chronic-depression were treated with SJW and the antidepressant paroxetine.
It was found that 50 percent of those treated with SJW improved enough to resume normal activities compared with 35 percent for those taking the antidepressant.
The British Medical Journal reported in February of 2005 that a special extract of St. John's wort was as effective for some forms of depression as Paxil, a common antidepressant.
Depression warning signsDepression is more than just having the blues or feeling sad. If left untreated it can rule your life and can become chronic. It can be brought on by illness, loss of a loved one, personal lose, natural disasters beyond anyone's control, or side effects from medicines.
Some signs of depression include:
- insufficient or restless sleep or sleeping too much
- not eating or eating too much
- not able to concentrate or make rational decisions
- crying a lot, often for no apparent reason
- activities that were once pleasant hold little if any pleasure
- suicidal thoughts
- heavy drinking or drug use
Uses of St. John's Wort
- treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome
- blood cleansing and purification
- control inflammation
- treat depression
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