St. John's Wort has been used as herbal medicine for 2500 years and was known to Hippocrates who is often referred to as the father of Medicine. The growing awareness of St. John's Wort in North America stems from its ability to defectively treat mild to moderate depression. Depression is estimated to occur at some point in the lives of approximately 17% of the population. In Europe, the use of St. John's Wort is already well established for depression and other medical conditions.
Depression is a mood disorder that is described as an abnormal emotional "down" sate, lasting for extended periods of time. A depressed person experiences some degree of loss in the usual pleasures of life, such as friends, social things, goals, work, food, sex, entertainment, and in general feels some degree of apathy.
The elusive things that we call feelings and mood is regulated by brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Depression is thought to be caused as the concentrations of key neurotransmitters decline below their respective appropriate levels.
For many North Americans, it is simply amazing that a common ground covering plant like St. John's Wort could present an effective antidepressant option. Its very low incidence of troublesome side effects is all the more wonderful. As a plant, many different chemicals are present, providing a variable "pharmacy" of constituents that synergies an overall neurotransmitter rebalancing.
St. John's Wort is effective in approximately 80% of those using it for mild to moderate depression. It produces improvements in mood with a sense of well being. Other reported benefits include increased productivity, decreased procrastination, increased motivation, increased energy and increased social interaction. Ina joint German and Austrian study published in 1994 in the Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and neurology, the researchers noted after four weeks, a particularly impressive clinical improvement in feelings of sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, sleep initiation, and psychological anxiety, with headaches and fatigue occurring significantly less frequently.
St John's Wort may provide relief for those who suffer seasonal-related depression or PMS-related depression. If you feel you could be a candidate for St. John's Wort , consult with your physician to receive professional evaluation and treatment advice. Many physicians have not yet gained an understanding of how well St. John's Wort controls mild to moderate depression. So may be reluctant to recommend a "herbal remedy:. Perhaps you can present St. John's Wort as a natural step-one approach, with a notably lower side effect profile than typically experienced with synthetic pharmaceutical antidepressants. You may want to present these brochure to your physician. While you do not need a prescription for St. John's Wort, mild to moderate depression should be evaluated by a clinical professional since depression can progress. If you are currently on a synthetic pharmaceutical antidepressant and encountering troublesome side effects, do not switch yourself over to St. John's Wort without your physician's judgme nt and guidance. It is crucially important to safety that antidepressant drugs be eliminated from your body before getting St. John's Wort. Please let your physician guide you.