Herbal remedies St. John’s wort

A few weeks earher he had diagnosed himself with mild depression, and he d known exactly what to do about it. He d seen stories about the potential benefits of the herbal remedy St. John s wort in all kinds of tabloids and magazines, and here was his chance to give it a try. It never crossed his mind to check with his doctors first, since St. John s wort was a natural remedy, and therefore (supposedly) completely safe. But the effects of drugs on our bodies can be very complex and sometimes mysterious. While the mechanism by which St. John s wort carries out its antidepressant effect is not clear, researchers have been able to identify an unwelcome side effect. Some component in St. John s wort stimulates the production of an enzyme with the cryptic name of cyp3a, one of a number of... 

Many patients with mild to moderate depression are aware of the potential benefits of the herbal remedy St. John s Wort (Hypericum perforatum). The active ingredients in the h3rpericum extract have yet to be identified and their mode of action is unclear, although it has been postulated that several of the known mechanisms of existing antidepressants are incorporated (inhibition of monoamine reuptake and the monoamine oxidase enzyme, as well as a stimulation of GABA receptors). Much of the original research into the efficacy of St. John s Wort was performed in Germany where its use is well established. Several direct comparisons with tricyclic antidepressants have shown equivalent rates of response but these studies should be interpreted with caution since many trials failed to... 

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