Experts Reveal: St. John’s Wort Relieves Major Depression

While St. John’s Wort has been known to help relieve symptoms of mild depression, there has not been much evidence to support its role in more severe cases of depression . . . until now. According to a research published in the Cochrane Systematic Review, this particular plant’s extract may help battle major depression. In fact, researchers have claimed it is “as effective as ‘standard’ anti-depressants and better than placebos, with very little side-effects.” Let’s take a closer look at this recent research.

The Research on St. John’s Wort and Depression

The research on the effectiveness of the plant on treating severe depression was carried out by a team of scientists from the Centre for Complementary Medicine at the Technical University of Munich. An earlier research at University Medical Centre at Freiburg had proved that St. John’s Wort is effective in treating minor to moderate depressive disorders. The new research involved more than 5000 patients suffering from major depression in 29 trials. Eighteen of these trials were placebo controlled and 17 involved control/comparison by standard anti-depressants.

Amongst the 18 placebo controlled trials, the plant extract was found to be 28 percent more effective in nine of the largest trials and among the remaining nine smaller trials the response rate of patients was 87 percent higher as compared to the placebo trials. When it came to comparison with anti-depressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), there were no significant differences between the two; however the drop-out rates of those on the extract were up to 76 percent lower. This means that there was a significant decrease in people who “fell off the wagon’” so to speak, most likely due to the lack of side-effects of the extract.

However, the results have a little German tilt, according to head researcher Klaus Linde. He reports that more favorable results have been seen in patients from German-speaking countries, where St. John’s Wort has been used historically for treating depressive disorders. Similarly, the quality of products on the market containing the extract can be very different thus questioning the efficacy of the extract across products. Currently UK based pharmaceutical manufacturer Bioforce manufactures a St. John’s Wort product which, after winning a Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMDP), claims to battle “low mood” and “mild anxiety.” However, it does not claim to “treat” depression.

Exactly how St. John’s Wort works in fighting depression is still unknown. Many researchers maintain that the plant extract functions similar to many synthetic anti-depressants (SSRI) in that it inhibits the uptake of serotonin. Hyperforin and Hypericin are considered at the main anti-depressive constituents of the flower.

Apart from depression, hyperforin is also known to treat alcoholism by inhibiting alcohol intake. Reported side-effects are gastro-problems, dizziness, confusion, tiredness, sedation and hair loss. Researches in Fordham University in New York showed that in rare cases, St. John’s Wort could cause photosensitivity. However, extracts of the plant have shown minimal side-effects as compared to its effectiveness in treating depression.

The most controversial study related to depression and the plant extract was carried out in the US at the Duke University Medical Centre, which found that St. John’s Wort was ineffective in treating depression of any kind in patients, contrary to all the studies published so far. The study involved 340 people over an 8-week period. According to the researchers, the results showed that there was “no evidence” to prove that St. John’s Wort was as effective as placebos or anti-depressants in treating depression. Furthermore, the researchers went on to say that studies which had proved the effectiveness of the drug failed to outline the health hazards and side-effects posed by the extract.

Regardless, the recent research is promising and a step in the right direction when it comes to addressing depression with natural methods.