|
Here's my short review on this yellow flowered plant known as St johns wort (hypericum), and the pros and cons when it comes to trying to use it against depression and anxiety. I've had mixed feelings on the effectiveness of this herb, and want to lay it all out for people because their seems to be much confusion in the never ending search for herbs that help with depression symptoms and anxiety disorders in general. How does it actually work? St Johns Wort contains important compounds in it that have medicinal qualities such as Hypericin which is believed to have a similar effect to antidepressants. It effects the levels of seratonin, dopamine and norepinephrine which make up the neurotransmitters in our brains. In my experience it was most effective during my mild to moderate days of depression, in extreme cases of depression the herb was not very effective for me at all (but that doesn't mean it won't work for you). Mike who is a very good friend of mine, tells me that this herb has been a small miracle for him when it comes to his sleeping disorder, the release of tension in his body and his concentration levels and their is also studies that would definitely support his claims of the effectiveness in these areas. In ancient times, many herbalists as well as doctors used this herb as a sedative as well as treatment for malaria, and in my experiments with it I can say that it is put to great use when I had a burn or an insect bite as well. St Johns Wort effects the nervous system as well as done a good job for me with my digestive system. The anti-viral properties are utilized to strengthen our immune systems and has also been known to be very affective against colds and flues. Could It just be A Placebo? I truly believe that if you are suffering from the mild to moderate range in terms of depression, and are wondering which herbs would be helpful and would rather take the natural route instead of antidepressants... than give St Johns Wort a shot. In my experience there has been times where it has kicked in and i've felt the effects suddenly, and other time i've taken it for long periods of time with no effects whatsoever. But I will tell you this, when it comes to side effects this herb beats antidepressants by a long shot and i've experienced substantially fewer side effects through this natural herb. Of course, most doctors will tell you not to waste your time with experimenting with this herb when it comes to depression, but I say give it a shot it may be the natural alternative that you have been looking for. Would I ever take it again? Definitely, due to the effects St Johns Wort has had on my mild to moderate depressive symptoms in the past there is no doubt this would be my first choice for this solution. For depression the standard dose of 300 mg 3 times a day worked well, but keep an eye out if it starts to bother your stomach and I definitely don't suggest taking 500mg twice a day or 600mg once a day, spread it out in small doses and remember to take it with food. How long did it take before I noticed any changes? In my experience using this herb against depression, it took about 4 to 4 and a half weeks for St Johns Wort to really start kicking in, but again everyone is different and it's not uncommon to hear changes in mood and depressive symptoms in 2 to 4 weeks after taking the suggested dose. What do some studies show on the effectiveness against anxiety? Researchers have used a dose of 600 mg per day for a duration of six weeks on 151 people with sleep related problems, there was a significant reduction in anxiety seen in this st. john's wort-treated group. Also, 500 clinically depressed patients with high levels of anxiety were tested by researchers using 500 mg of valerian and 600 mg a day of St. John's wort (a good combo) the group reported significant decreases in anxiety, and when in fact upping the dose and retesting, had reported even better results. When should you not take St Johns Wort? If you are currently on an antidepressant especially any SSRI's such as Prozac for example, it is recommended you stay away from St Johns Wort. These types of interactions could result into what is called seratonin syndrome or seratonin toxicity which is an excess in seratonin activity. Also if you are pregnant or under the age of 12 stay away, or have substance abuse problems or are dealing with addictions to alcohol or other drugs, then taking st johns wort could cause severe drug interactions. Conclusion Although their are still many studies being conducted to evaluate the true effectiveness of st johns wort, I can truly say that I experienced better benefits from this herb then I did from antidepressants. Why? Not sure really, maybe it was the idea that I was taking something natural, and didn't have the fear and confusion of taking something artificial and chemically that was doing who knows what to my body. I also thought it would be worthy to mention that I used this herb in tea form as well as pill form, not sure which was better but again try them both and see. In conclusion, st johns wort gets two thumbs up from me when used for mild to moderate depression as well as mild to moderate anxiety, but of course always used as an effective sidekick as you tackle the root of your problem. I hope this review was helpful but what I really want to know is have you tried st johns wort before? Did you feel any benefit from it? I'd love to hear your own personal journey with st johns wort so please share. Ending Anxiety Naturally
Related Articles -
anxiety, anxiety disorder, what is anxiety, overcoming anxiety, what is generalized anxiety disorder, anxiety symptoms, st johns wort anxiety, ,
| 
