St. John's Wort by Kate McGee
St. John's Wort, Hypericum Perforatum, is a short, yellow-flowering, wild-growing plant, and has been used for approximately 2,400 years in herbal and folk medicine. Recently it has been used to help treat mild to moderate forms of depression.
You need to be aware of that it can affect some prescribed medications, such as anti-coagulant drugs and contraceptives. There have also been reports that it can cause nerve damage and when combined with bright sunlight may also cause cataracts.
Anyone purchasing St John's Wort also needs to know that when acquiring the pills from different sources (ex Walmart, Walgreens, Trader Joe's), the active ingredient hypericin, can range significantly, even though they all claim to have the same concentration. This can even happen with different batches of the same brand. Also, over the counter St.John's Wort can even have a completely different chemical profile from other brands.
While there are no set standards for determining how much one should take, there is agreement amongst herbalists that 200 to 1000mg of 0.3% is the recommended amount with most suggesting around 300mg, taken three times a day. One should start at the lower dosage and slowly increase the amount if necessary.
It is important to discuss the use of St John's Wort with your physician before starting a regime. Also, if you are taking an anti-depressant or anti-psychotic medication it is vital to talk it over with your doctor first.