Natural Herbal Remedies for Depression: Looking at Quality

If you purchase SAM-e, St. John's wort and other natural herbal remedies for depression, you may not be getting your money's worth. Recent tests of major herbal supplements found contamination, mis-labeling and other problems.

Heavy Metals & Other Problems in St. John's Wort

Even though much of the research on St. John's wort for depression has produced conflicting results, St. John's wort remains one of the most popular natural herbal remedies for depression in North America. But a recent look at 14 brands of St. John's wort found that over half failed to pass quality control standards set up by the study's architect, ConsumerLab.com.

At the beginning of the test, two brands were immediately disqualified for not listing the part of the plant used to make the supplement. Not disclosing this information is a direct violation of the FDA's 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, or DSHEA. A third brand was later added to this list after a review of its label revealed similarly troubling discrepancies.

Another two products were given "Not Approved" status for containing less St. John's wort than their labels claimed. In one case, nearly half of its hyperforin (one of the "active" ingredients) was missing.

Also receiving "Not Approved" status were two brands which contained more cadmium than allowed by current World Health Organization recommendations. In fact, one brand actually exceeded this limit by more than 100% and the second brand of St. John's wort exceeded California's limit for lead.

Passing this quality control test were brands marketed under the labels Gaia, Kira, Nature's Resource, New Chapter, Puritan's Pride, Sundown and 21st Century.

How SAM-e Holds Up To Testing

While SAM-e, or S-adenosyl-methionine, isn't actually an herb, it's often sold along side herbal remedies for depression and is growing in popularity for its ability to influence mood. SAM-e tends to be expensive, especially if taken regularly, so finding a SAM-e supplement that meets or exceeds quality standards can be of particular interest to many people.