June 23, 2009 – St. John’s Wort – or St. John’s Wort – Decreases Hot Flashes and Alleviates Menopause-Related Symptoms, Study Finds1 conducted by researchers from the Center hospitalier universitaire de Québec (CHUQ).
For three months, 20 women aged 40 to 65, who experienced several symptoms of menopause, took three 300 mg capsules of dried St. John’s Wort per day, while 22 women took a placebo. At the end of treatment, women who took St. John’s Wort reported a decrease of 2.3 hot flashes per day, while women in the placebo group reported a decrease of only one hot flash per day.
St. John’s Wort is also believed to reduce the intensity of hot flashes, as demonstrated by calculating an index combining the frequency and intensity of hot flashes. Women who took St. John’s Wort also reported reducing their sleep problems and improving their quality of life.
“Be careful, I would not immediately recommend this natural product to postmenopausal women,” says Mahéra Al-Akoum, research associate at CHUQ and one of the study’s authors. “These results need to be confirmed with more women. Also, St. John’s Wort should be used with caution, as it can interact with certain medications, including antidepressants, ”she adds.
Little is known about the mechanism of action of St. John’s Wort. Researchers believe that the extracts of this plant may be successful in modulating mood and the perception of hot flashes in postmenopausal women.
Emmanuelle Bergeron – PasseportSanté.net
1. Al-Akoum M, Maunsell E, et al. Effects of Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort) on hot flashes and quality of life in perimenopausal women: a randomized pilot trial.Menopause, 2009 Mar-Apr; 16 (2): 307-14.
