Is St. Johns Wort effective?
St. Johns wort can help for treatment of mild to moderate depression. Its about as effective as some prescription drugs. However, it might not be as effective for severe depression. There is also some scientific evidence that St. Johns wort might be effective for treating anxiety. Oily preparations of St. Johns wort seem to help stomach upset when taken by mouth. When applied to the skin, these oily preparations seem to help first degree burns, cuts and bruises, and muscle pain. There is also some evidence that St. Johns wort is not effective for treating HIV infection. Dont use St. Johns wort for this condition. There isnt enough information to know if St. Johns wort is effective for the other conditions people use it for, including: migraine headache, nerve pain, sciatica, excitability, muscle pain, cancer, obsessive compulsive behavior, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and many others.
