The Benefits of St. John’s Wort

By Sara Tipton

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a plant that grows in the wild and has been used for centuries to help aid humans with various mental health conditions. St. John’s wort is sold as a dietary supplement in the United States. It’s currently widely prescribed for depression in Europe.

Known for its exhaustive medicinal value, St. John’s Wort is one of the best herbs to add to your herbal medicine cabinet. In addition to its medicinal properties, an herbal tincture can have the powerful effect of balancing your mood and helping you achieve a more positive outlook naturally.

St. John’s Wort is a flowering plant named because the bright yellow flowers were said to bloom for the first time around St. John the Baptist’s birthday. The word “wort” means “plant” in Old English.

Ready Nutrition has harnessed the power of St. John’s Wort the help boost your mood. Ready Nutrition’s St. John’s Wort herbal tincture is an organic tincture for mood balance and positive outlook support. The St. John’s Wort in the tincture is a neurotransmitter modulator that increases Serotonin levels in the brain through a process called natural reuptake inhibition. It will help boost your mood, promote a positive mood balance, improve your day-to-day outlook, and increase your daytime energy levels.

Evidence suggests that the plant might be better at handling mild to moderate depression than a placebo. A 2015 study published in the Annals of Family Medicine, for instance, examined whether antidepressants were more effective than a placebo in a primary care setting. For the analysis, scientists examined 66 previously published studies (with a total of 15,161 participants) and found that antidepressant medication and St. John’s wort extracts were more effective than a placebo. But the real positive aspect of this herb was that it was associated with fewer dropouts because of adverse effects compared to tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (NRI), a serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI; venlafaxine), and noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant agents (NaSSAs).  Meaning more people continued to take St. John’s wort than other medications because they were not experiencing devastating side effects.

Depression and anxiety, which are both so common during menopause have been found to be reduced with the use of St. John’s Wort.  It also reduces the symptoms found with PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) in a study performed with the administration of just one 300 mg (milligram) tablet per day with standardized 900 mcg (micrograms) of Hypericum, the chemical lending its name to the scientific name for St. John’s Wort, or Hypericumperforatum.  The herb has anti-inflammatory effects as well as being useful as a sleep aid.

SIDE EFFECTS

Because there is a possibility of side effects, it’s important to understand what they are when deciding if St. John’s Wort is for you.

St. John’s wort (both oral and topical) can increase the sensitivity of your skin and eyes to sunlight. If you have a condition or are taking medication that increases your skin’s sensitivity to sunlight, talk with your doctor to weigh the risks. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to conceive, or you are taking oral contraceptives, it’s important to talk with your doctor before taking St. John’s wort. The herb can decrease the effectiveness of medication but it can also make the effects of a medication stronger, so it’s important to speak to a medical health professional if you’re taking other drugs before considering St. John’s Wort.