Alternative Health Blog

Mild to moderate depression is both the most under-diagnosed and overmedicated condition in America. That means too many people are going without treatment while others are jumping to the conclusion of pharmaceuticals without intermediate steps such as cognitive therapy. A new research analysis suggests the herbal remedy St. John’s wort could represent the happy medium between under-diagnosis and overmedicating.

 St. John’s wort (wort means “weed”) extract has long been considered a natural form of antidepressant in European countries. It became a top-seller in the U.S. when media reports covered the herb’s widespread use abroad. But doubts were introduced when some American studies proved the herb to be ineffective. There is ongoing debate about whether those studies used a high enough grade of the herbal extract, along with other methodology issues.

One point about St. John’s wort goes without challenge. The natural remedy is considered to create significantly fewer side effects than antidepressant drugs.  It’s a good reason to take notice of a new German study that reviewed 29 studies with nearly 5,500 patients with depression. Overall, this “meta-analysis” showed significant improvement in patients who used St. John’s wort for one to three months compared to a control group taking a placebo. The herb also proved equal to antidepressant medications.

The report was prepared by researchers at the Centre for Complementary Medicine in Munich. You likely know that Germany and its Commission E has long been a pioneering country in putting a scientific stamp of approval on plant medicines. The patients were from a number of countries and several different St. John’s wort extracts were part of the findings.

Here’s an important point: St. John’s wort proved most effective for depression in German-speaking countries, where the herb has long been a first-line treatment for depression and prescribed by physicians. If you think St. John’s wort is a fit for depression, be sure to seek out a naturopathic physician or other natural health practitioner who can guide you to the proper dose, brand and grade of plant extract.

Coming Thursday: Why heart patients need to be routinely screened for signs of depression. 

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Momday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.