St. John's wort is a plant with yellow, star-shaped flowers.St. John's wort might cause serious interactions with some medications. Because of this, France has banned the use of St. John's wort in products. In other countries St. John's wort is only available with a prescription.St. John's wort is most commonly used for depression and mood disorders. There is some strong scientific evidence that it is effective for mild to moderate depression. St. John's wort is also used for symptoms of menopause and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. - Depression. Taking St. John's wort extracts by mouth improves depressive mood and decreases nervousness and tiredness related to depression. Certain St. John's wort products might work as well as some prescription drugs. But not all St. John's wort products available on the market will be the same quality as those used in these studies. So they may not work as well. Also, St. John's wort might not be as effective for more severe cases of depression.
- Symptoms of menopause. Most research shows that taking St. John's wort by mouth can help reduce hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. Some evidence shows that specific combinations of St. John's wort plus black cohosh are also beneficial. But not all St. John's wort combination products seem work.
- Emotional distressed caused by extreme focus on a sical symptom (somatic symptom disorder). Treatment with a specific St. John's wort product (LI 160, Lichtwer rma) daily for 6 weeks seems to reduce symptoms of this condition.
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