This herb got its name because the plant flowers on St. John's day, June 24. (Wort is Old English for "plant.") Its star-shaped yellow flowers, which turn red when bruised, are beautiful enough to make anyone with the blues feel happier. But this herb also has a long history of folk use for treating anxiety and depression. Modern science has shown that generations of folk herbalists were right.

          Clinical studies show that treatment with just one of the active compounds in this herb, hypericin, results in significant improvements in anxiety, depression and feelings of worthlessness. Some studies show that it's a more powerful antidepressant than some pharmaceutical drugs such as amitriptyline (Elavil) and imiprimine (Tofranil). What's more, it has fewer side effects. Some researchers say that it has no side effects at all.

          Studies also show that St. John's Wort improves sleep quality, often a major problem for people who are seriously depressed. In one study, German researchers gave St. John's Wort to 105 people with moderate depression. Compared with a similar group not receiving the herb, they slept better and exhibited less sadness, helplessness, hopelessness, exhaustion and headache. They also reported no side effects.

          While some researchers attribute the benefits of the herb to its MAO inhibitors, other studies downplay this activity. Jerry Cott, Ph.D., director of the Polytherapeutic Medication Development Program of the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, tells me that even though Hypericum is a leading antidepressant, it has much less MAO inhibitor activity than we had previously believed.

          Commission E, the body of scientific experts that advises the German government on the safety and effectiveness of herbs, heaps praise on St. John's Wort as a treatment for depression. If you'd like to try it, I'd suggest a tea made by steeping one to two teaspoons of dried herb in a cup of boiling water for ten minutes. St. John's Wort appears to be most effective if you take one to two cups of tea a day for four to six weeks, according to Varro Tyler, Ph.D., dean and professor emeritus of pharmacognosy (natural product pharmacy) at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Dr. Tyler says that different chemical compounds in St. John's Wort work together to relieve mild depression in several different ways. The advantage of this combined action is fewer side effects, because the total response is not due to a single strong action.

          Do not take St. John's Wort if you're pregnant. And avoid intense sun exposure while using it, since this herb can make the skin more sensitive to sunlight. - "The Green Pharmacy" by James A. Duke Ph.D.

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