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With the dark months of winter looming over us, we may begin to feel a bit depressed.  Some people are highly affected by the decrease in sunlight throughout the winter months.  The name for this disorder is SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder.  This condition causes  a portion of the population to become down and depressed and they may need assistance to deal with their symptoms for the 3 winter months.

There are a few ways to treat SAD.  It can be alleviated with a concoction of vitamins, nutrients, simulated sunlight, or a combination of these.   However, some of us still carry depression the other 9 months of the year, but there may be a healthier way to treat year-round depression, with St. John’s Wort.

St. John’s Wort is an herb derived from the plant, Hypericum perforatum or the hedgerow plant.  This herbal supplement has a large following and is often used as a sleep aid and has been used for centuries to alleviate mild forms of depression.

German scientists from the Centre for Complementary Medicine in Munich gathered information from 29 studies conducted in a variety of contries using different St. John’s Wort extract and using 5,489 volunteers who exhibited moderately severe depression.

In one group, they replaced the groups regular anti-depressant with St. John’s Wort.  In other groups they either administered a placebo or they received either a common old or new anti-depressant like Prozac over a determined length of time.

Prozac, as well as many other common types of anti-depressants are SSRIs, or Selective Seratonin Re-uptake Inhibitors.  They are widely used to enhance mood, but often cause the user to experience side effects such as; drowsiness, a drop in libido, anxiety/panic attacks, flu-like symptoms, confusion, balance problem, and more.

In Germany, St. John’s Wort is a common household name is often given to children and teens for mild depression or to treat sleep disorders and causes little or no side effects when being taken by itself.

Dr. Klaus Linde from The Centre says, “Overall, the St. John’s Wort extracts tested in the trials were superior to placebo, similarly effective as standard antidepressants, and had fewer side effects than standard antidepressants.”

If you have depression, Dr. Linde suggests that you should consult a doctor prior to taking any combination of drugs or herbal supplements.  In the past, St. John’s Wort has been linked to creating negative reactions when taken with other prescription drugs.  Medications for lowering cholesterol, oral contraceptives, and blood thinners have all been proven to interact negatively with St. John’s Wort.

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