Conditions St. John's Wort Helps Treat

St. John’s wort is a yellow, flowering plant native to Europe and the United States. It has been used for a variety of therapeutic purposes in the Mediterranean for millennia and has been widely studied and used clinically in Europe for decades. In the United States, St. John's wort is still awaiting approval from the Food And Drug Administration, but is available as an over-the-counter supplement from many alternative medicine suppliers and health food stores.Get to know some of the biggest purported benefits of St. John's wort and learn about the conditions it helps treat now.

Mild To Moderate Depression

Multiple clinical studies have demonstrated St. John's wort is almost as effective as a prescription antidepressant for reducing sadness, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness. Additionally, the medicine appears to ease many of the symptoms that often accompany depression, such as sleeplessness and poor appetite. The key ingredient is believed to be hyperforin, a phytochemical (plant-produced chemical), which may act upon the presynaptic nerves in the brain to build up serotonin levels, much like a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor would. The exact mechanism of hyperforin hasn’t been definitively identified, but there is enough positive data to declare St. John's wort an effective antidepressant therapy. Hyperforin has a short half-life, so St. John's wort should be taken at the recommended dosage three times daily.

Be aware St. John's wort does entail some drug interactions, thus it's essential to check them against the interaction list, and consult with a doctor before trying St. John’s wort.

Continue reading to reveal more about what St. John's wort can help treat.

Symptoms Of Menopause

When women's estrogen levels begin to decline during the long slope of menopause, it can cause a host of unpleasant symptoms, such as hot flashes, sleep disturbance, and mood swings, or even depression. Hormone replacement therapy has been traditionally used to counter these symptoms, but they present an elevated risk for both estrogen-based cancers such as breast cancer, and cardiovascular events such as blood clots and stroke.

Some women use plant-based estrogens, called phytoestrogens, to mimic the effect of estrogen in their bodies to avoid these risks. St. John’s wort contains a phytoestrogen called beta-sitosterol, which has demonstrated itself to be very useful in reducing hot flashes and other unwanted symptoms of menopause. Phytoestrogens are mild and can provide relief without incurring a significant health risk. The best results in symptom reduction were found when St. John's wort was combined with black cohosh, another phytoestrogen herb long used to treat hot flashes.

Learn more about what conditions St. John's wort is said to treat now.