Potential Cautions and Side Effects when Using St. John's Wort for Depression

St. John's Wort (Hypericum Perforatum) is a perennial shrub that has been used for many, many years as an aid to some of life's most common ailments. The ancient Greek people used this herb as a skin balm, and the pre-Christian Celtic people also used St. John's Wort in rituals - both for magical purposes as well as a calming agent.

In addition to depression, St. John's Wort is also used for PMS, hemorrhoids, alcoholism, anxiety and warding off infections.

St. John's Wort is a very versatile, herb used commonly in natural medicine. In fact, St. John's Wort is one of the most common natural alternatives to synthetic drugs - especially in the field of depression. Akademisches Lehrkrankenhaus University in Giessen, Germany conducted a study with 300 random participants who suffered from mild to moderate depression. They conducted their research by giving half of the participants St. John's Wort and giving the other half Tofranil, a popular anti-depressant drug, for a total of six weeks. Studies showed that the users of St. John's Wort reported nearly half the amount of side effects of Tofranil. St. John's Wort is often used instead of such synthetic anti-depressants as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft.

However, as successful of an alternative medicine as St. John's Wort may be, dealing with depression is a very delicate matter. There are some potential side effects brought upon by the consumption of St. John's Wort that should be acknowledged prior to taking it. First and foremost, St. John's Wort is NOT recommended for use in treatment of severe depression - only use with cases of mild to moderate depression.

The main side effect of the herb is sensitivity to sunlight. You may want to steer clear, or ask your doctor before taking St. John's Wort if you tend to spend a lot of time outside. St. John's Wort is also currently under research to determine whether or not the herb is connected to users who have developed cataracts.