Research on St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) are among the most elaborate on herbal medicine, although most have been made comparing the product to antidepressants that are no longer widely used. But recent research fills that gap by comparing the effects of St. John’s Wort with those of the world’s best-selling antidepressant drug, fluoxetine, best known under the trade name Prozac ©. It should be noted that this research was not carried out by a pharmaceutical company or a manufacturer of medicinal remedies, but by the German health insurance system.
The results are impressive: Research concludes that both treatments are equally effective for mild to moderate depression, but St. John’s Wort has substantially fewer unpleasant side effects. For this double-blind research, 114 outpatients took fluoxetine (20 mg, twice daily), and 128 took St. John’s wort extract (one 250 mg tablet, twice daily, of the Swiss product Ze 117 standardized to 0.5% hypericin per tablet). Evaluated by psychiatrists using a standard test, members of both groups showed comparable improvement after six weeks.
Of all the side effects reported in research, 72% were reported by the group using fluoxetine. In addition, these side effects were relatively severe: nausea, dizziness, fatigue, symptoms related to anxiety, erectile dysfunction and gastrointestinal problems. In the group using St. John’s Wort, on the other hand, the most serious side effect patients complained about were gastrointestinal problems (although in fewer numbers than in the other group).
However, for people suffering from mild or moderate depression, side effects are the main cause of discontinuation of medication, these effects are often considered as bothersome as the disease itself. In the conclusion of their research, the authors state that the advantages of St. John’s Wort over fluoxetine are irrefutable, in terms of both its effectiveness and its safety.
HealthPassport.net
Schrader E. Equivalent of a St. John’s wort extract (Ze 117) and fluotexin: a randomized, controlled study in mild-moderate depression. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2000; 15 (2): 61-68.
