St. John's wort herbal remedy might rival Prozac

Interesting study with looking at St.John’s wort being superior to a placebo in the study. In recent news, more and more herbal remedies are gaining attention for studies to see how their contents do contribute to either better health or potential clinical use. BD

According to a new Cochrane review of 29 randomized, double blind studies from various countries, hypericum extracts--known commonly as St. John's wort--are superior to placebo medications. The review also found that the herbal remedy is "similarly effective" as some medications commonly prescribed to treat depression symptoms, including tri- and tetracyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Eli Lilly's Prozac. The trials included nearly 5,500 participants.

According to the review, patients taking the hypericum extracts also experienced significantly fewer side effects compared to patients taking SSRIs, but it isn't entirely clear how the medication works, especially since the extracts can contain at least seven groups of components and is completely unregulated.