Mild to Moderate Depression: Take St. Johns’ Wort
October 28th, 2008 -- Posted in Health | No Comments »I hope this article from Patricia Zifferblatt from Better Life Institute is helpful in coping with a mild to moderate case of depression:
“Extracts of St. Johns’ Wort are effective in reducing the symptoms of major depression, according to a new review in the prestigious Cochrane Systemic Review” the headlines from NutraIngredients stated on October 9, 2008.
The lead researcher, Klaus Linde and fellow researchers from the Centre for Complimentary Medicine at the Technical University of Munich, Germany and the University Medical Center, Freiburg showed that the plant extract of St. Johns’ Wort is effective against mild to moderate depressive disorders. This new study pulled together 29 trials involving over 5,000 patients of major depression, 18 of which included a placebo and 17 involved comparisons with synthetic standard antidepressants.
The team made the following statement in defending their research:
“The available evidence suggests that the hypericum extracts, i.e. St. Johns’ Wort, tested in the included trials are:
a. superior to placebo in patients with major depression
b. similarly effective as standard antidepressants
c. have fewer side-effects than standard antidepressants
And now a word of caution from Better Life: Because not all supplements containing St Johns’ Wort are manufactured under GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) with the same amount of effective hypericum, we strongly suggest that anyone who supplements with St. Johns’ Wort purchase a quality product from a highly reputable supplier. As always, if you are under the care of a physician, get approval from her/him before adding St. John’s Wort or any other supplements to your diet.