Does St. Johns wort work as a treatment for depression?
There has been scientific research to try to answer this question. In Europe, results from a number of scientific studies have supported the effectiveness of certain St. John’s wort extracts for depression. An overview of 23 clinical studies, published in the British Medical Journal in 1996, found that the herb might be useful in cases of mild to moderate depression. The studies, which included 1,757 outpatients, reported that St. John’s wort was more effective than a placebo (a “dummy” pill designed to have no effect) and appeared to produce fewer side effects than some standard antidepressants. Other studies conducted recently have found no benefit from the use of St. John’s wort for certain types of depression. For example, the results of a study funded by Pfizer Inc., a pharmaceutical company, found that St. John’s wort, when compared with placebo, was not effective for treating major depression (Shelton, et al. JAMA, 2001). In addition, several components of the National Institute
