Medical Questions » Mental Health Questions » Question No. 1563
| Question: | I keep hearing mixed reports - is St John' s wort really as good as anti-depressants? |
| Answer: | The answer to that is pretty much a categorical yes for people with mild to moderate depression. There have been numerous studies backing this up, most recently one reported in the British Medical Journal. This found St John' s wort to be more effective than the tricyclic anti-depressant imipramine. A group of 324 patients were given either St John' s wort or an anti-depressant. Although both were equally effective in reducing the depression, St John' s wort was better tolerated, in that the people had fewer side effects.
Remember that depression can have various causes, so for some people, St John' s wort does not work. It may be a case of dealing with an issue, say with a therapist, or sorting out other slight chemical imbalances such as blood sugar levels or nutrient deficiencies that can be done with the help of a nutri-tionist. |
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