St.
John's Wort is a perennial herb native to Europe. It is now
found throughout the moderate climates and, in certain places, it
became an obnoxious weed to be eradicated (New Zealand). The
English name is linked to St. John-The-Baptist by numerous legends.
The latin name comes from the multitude of perforations that appear
on the leaves when seen through light.
Dioscorides, an ancient Greek
physician, wrote about hypericum 2400 years ago. Culpeper, an English
herbalist of the 17th century, also dedicated a whole chapter to St.
John's wort. Traditionally, it was used to relieve ulcers, gastritis,
nausea, and diarrhoea, to heal wounds and bruises, to cure haemorrhoids,
as a sedative and painkiller. The folkloric use included nervous
unrest, sleep disturbance and worry (the symptoms of depression before
its definition was set forth). It was also recommended to induce a
feeling of well-being.
St. John’s wort contains terpenes
(pinene, limonene), sesquiterpenes (caryophyllene, humulene), flavonoids
(rutin, quercitin), dianthrones (hypericin, pseudohypericin) and tanins
(10%).
Modern science studied certain
properties: anti-inflammatory, astringent, antidepressant and antiviral.
It seems that the healing virtues of St. John's wort for wounds, haemorrhoids
and ulcers is mainly due to its content in tanins which have an anti-inflammatory
and astringent effect.
Today's interest in St. John's
wort is mostly related to its anti-depressant and anti-viral effects.
German physicians frequently prescribe standardized extracts of hypericum
perforatum to treat light to moderate depression. According
to research, the dianthrone hypericin is responsible for most of the
antidepressant activity of St.John's wort. Even if the action
mechanism of St. John's wort is quite complex, clinical evidence is
piling up to support its claim as an effective anti-depressant for
mild to moderate depression. It was shown in numerous studies
to be as effective as a prescription antidepressant.
The side effect profile is much
milder than that of classical treatments. The side effects are
mild gastric upset, fatigue, restlessness, photosensitivity and some
allergic reactions.
Warning : ingestion
of St. John's is not compatible with use of protease inhibitors used
in the treatment of HIV/AIDS.
Article :
Hypericum extract as effective
as common anti-depressant medication
"Hypericum [St. John's Wort]
extract versus imipramine or placebo in patients with moderate depression:
randomised multicentre study of treatment for eight weeks.
Hypericum extract, manufactured
from the herb St John's Wort, is just as efficacious as the prescribed
drug imipramine in treating moderate depression, claim researchers
from Germany in this week's BMJ [British Medical Journal].
Professor Michael Philipp from
Landshut Bezirkskrankenhaus [district hospital] along with colleagues
from Nuremberg and Berlin studied the efficacy and safety of hypericum
extract as compared with imipramine (which is a commonly prescribed
anti-depressant in Germany) and placebo in 263 patients with moderate
depression.
They found that hypericum extract
was more effective for reducing depression than placebo and just
as effective as imipramine. Patients taking hypericum extract had
the same range of side-effects as those taking placebo and less
than those being treated with imipramine. Using an internationally
recognised questionnaire, the authors found that quality of life
(both mentally and physically) was significantly improved by taking
hyeperium extract.
The authors conclude that since
many depressed patients receive either no treatment or inadequate
treatment after their first bout of depression, hypericum extract
may be considered as an alternative first choice treatment in most
cases of mild to moderate depression."
Source: British Medical journal
Press Release. December 9, 1999. Contact: Jill Shepherd
jshepherd@bmj.com 44-171383-6529.
Dr Karl-O Hiller, Senior Research Fellow, Steiner Arzneimittel,
Berlin, Germany; Tel: 49-30-710-940, Fax: 49-30-712-5012 kohiller.steiner@t-online.de.
ST.
JOHN'S WORT FAQ
All
material and information presented by Nutrisana.com is intended to
be used for educational purposes only. The statements made about products
have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (U.S.).
They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition
or disease. Please consult with your own physician or health care
practitioner regarding the suggestions and recommendations made at
Nutrisana.com.
Copyright
© 1998-2000 Nutrisana International inc., all rights reserved
