Royane Real

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If you live in North America and you go to see a doctor for depression, it is very likely that you will be prescribed an expensive pharmaceutical drug such as an SSRI to treat your depression.  There is very little likelihood that a doctor in North America would prescribe a herbal treatment for depression.

However, in other parts of the world, the situation is quite different.  If you live in Europe and you tell your doctor that you feel depressed, it’s quite possible that your doctor will prescribe for you the herb St. John’s Wort to treat your depression.

In fact, St. John’s Wort, which grows as a common weed, is one of the most frequently prescribed herbal products in the world. 

St. John’s Wort has been used in Europe for many years to treat depression, and many studies have shown it to be an effective and safe treatment for mild to moderate depression.

In North America, your doctor is probably unaware of the uses of herbs for treating various ailments.   A North American doctor is likely to tell you that herbal preparations either don’t work for depression, or that they might even be dangerous for your health.

Not all people who feel depressed want to start taking powerful pharmaceutical drugs, and many people are looking for a more natural approach to treating depression.

The extract found in St. John’s Wort capsules is made from a flowering plant that is commonly grown in Europe and North America.  You may even have the herb St. John’s Wort growing as a flowering perennial in your garden, and not know it!

People who take St. John’s Wort often say that the gentle improvement in mood they feel with St.  John’s Wort is much more pleasant than the side effects they get from taking prescription anti-depressants.

Researchers aren’t sure exactly how or why St. John’s Wort works.  In fact, many researchers are not convinced that it really works at all.  It is possible that the mood boosting effect of this herb is simply a result of a placebo effect.  However, you should keep in mind that many prescription medications for depression do not work appreciably better than placebos in clinical trials.

If St. John’s Wort does have an anti-depressant action, it could be due to a compound in the plant named hypericin.  It is also possible that there are other factors in the plant that have a positive effect on depression. 

The typical recommended dose for St. John’s wort is 900 milligrams per day, divided into three separate doses.  Look for a standardized product that contains .3 percent hypericin.

There are a few things you should watch out for if you are going to buy St. John’s Wort from a health food store.

It’s important to point out that not every study of St. John’s Wort has shown it to relieve depression.  Even though many European studies have found positive results with St. John’s Wort, at least one large study that was done in North America said that St. John’s Wort did not help people with depression.

When you buy St. John’s Wort, be sure to deal only with very reputable brands that you trust.  Research tests have shown that some of the brands of  St. John’s Wort and other herbs that are offered for sale are falsely labelled.  In some cases, it was discovered that the preparations for sale actually didn’t contain any of the active ingredient listed on the package.   

Some people do experience mild side effects when they take St. John’s Wort.  There may be a greater sensitivity to sun light, and there may be a higher rate of getting cataracts. 

In addition, a few people experience nausea as a side effect.

If you’re pregnant or if you are bipolar, you should avoid taking St. John’s Wort.

Do not start taking St. John’s Wort without talking to your doctor first.  There might be some medications that you are already taking that should never be taken with St. John’s Wort.  Be sure to check, especially if you have been taking prescription antidepressants.

This article was written by Royane Real who is the author of the book  “How You Can Be Smarter - Use Your Brain to Learn Faster, Remember Better and Be More Creative”  Download it today and learn more ways to get the maximum use of your brainpower. It’s available at  http://www.lulu.com/real  

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