St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) for Depression: Documentary Analysis
Is St. John’s Wort an Effective Natural Antidepressant?
Yes. St. John’s Wort shows comparable effectiveness to conventional antidepressants for mild-to-moderate depression with significantly fewer side effects. A documentary analysis of 3,599 patients found that St. John’s Wort extracts produced 66% response rates (similar to SSRIs), while causing 27% side effects compared to 43% with synthetic antidepressants, with the ZE 117 extract showing only 19% side effects.
St. John’s Wort works through multiple mechanisms including inhibition of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine reuptake, activation of TRPC6 channels affecting neuroplasticity, and modulation of the HPA axis, providing antidepressant effects similar to conventional medications.